


It's an Arranged Proposal

by Griff_FanFic1933



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Angst, Awkwardness, Dang these tags are fun lol, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Um enjoy I guess, uh this is my first fic lol, wot else do you put here?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-01-16 09:50:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21269090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Griff_FanFic1933/pseuds/Griff_FanFic1933
Summary: For Callum, it was pretty much a given the moment he entered this life. Despite being the older prince, he wasn't born with any ounce of royal blood in him. He wasn't born to become the next King of Katolis and he's pretty much useless in the art of swords (art of drawing was more his thing).He didn't ask to become the step-prince of Katolis. He didn't ask for his mom to fall in love with King Harrow. But what power did he have over what he was meant to be but a tool for kingdom alliances?So he didn't argue.But for a certain Moonshadow elf from across the border? Let's say she's not happy, in more ways than one.An arranged marriage AU-In which, after an incident with the death of three queens and the King of the Dragons leading to a quick yet devastating 3-year war, a request was made by Prince Azymondias for the war to stop, prior to his coronation.The new King of Dragons shocked the world that instead of more blood to be shed, that they come to a peaceful end through the means of an alliance. To Katolis, it was a specific proposition that he asked for; an arranged marriage in exchange for the lives both sides took.And King Harrow agreed.





	1. Full Moon of Denial

**Author's Note:**

> "You look like you're plan on storming the castle and assassinating the king."
> 
> "I mean, that was the original plan, yes."
> 
> "Yeah, and the plan now is a peace alliance, yes?"
> 
> "I believe that's what the itinerary said."
> 
> "Uh huh. And?"
> 
> "What are they gonna do? Take it off me?"

**\--Rayla--**

It had to be past midnight by now but Rayla could care less.

She was a Moonshadow elf for crying outloud and it would be impossible to sleep at a full moon with so much pent-up energy in her. And by energy, I meant really dangerous, not-safe-within-a-ten-meter-radius, at-the-verge-of-exploding, type of energy.

She had already spent the last few hours running through the woods, slish-slashing at every little fig that came her way, screaming her throat dry and some more slish-slashing, yet it did nothing to calm the turmoil of emotion within her.

So there she was. Sitting on the cliffside of a mountain, that she had scaled, which overlooked the valley where her hometown lay, fast asleep with nothing to be worried about. Nothing to cry about.

No. She was not gonna cry.

She took notice of the silent pattern of footsteps nearing her but she'd gotten accustomed to the sound that she didn't even need to look to see who it was. She just knew, even when the silent figure had settled themselves beside her.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Came the usual deep tone she'd come to known in the last few years.

"Like I could sleep through a full moon," came her slightly-raspy voice (due to her screaming). He was silent when she continued, the bitterness slipping, through "Besides, it's not like I'd be trainin' anymore anyway."

"That's not to say that you should stop," he replied, tone softer than usual.

Rayla just couldn't hold it in, the anger now tumbling out in bursts, "Yeh, 'cause I'd be trainin' to hold tea properly, and knowing which fork to use tomorrow, eh? Wearin' fancy dresses and going to fancy parties with stuck-up rich brats. Then I'd have to train myself to smile and let everyone shove me around and pretend everything's definitely fine while they mock me behind my back. While they spit insults at me 'cause I'm forced to- to marry a dumb- filthy- human? For something that wasn't even MY fault?"

She didn't even realized that she'd been shouting till she felt her throat screaming at her to stop. Her companion only waited for her to calm down as she took a few seconds to pull herself together before she finally muttered, "Sorry, Runaan."

"I don't blame you for your frustration," Runaan told her, glancing out in the horizon, "I... am not so pleased myself."

Rayla sighed before turning to him and, though chances were pretty slim, pleaded once more, "Are you sure there's not anything you could do to convince him?"

Runaan let out a small laugh (and he must be so upset considering how rarely he let any of his walls down), "If I were in any position to talk to the Dragon King then I would. But you should know as well as I."

She knew what he meant. Ever since Runaan took her under his care, she'd been training to become an assassin for most of her life, trained to kill an assigned target. To accept they are dead until the end of their mission then to resume training until they were called out once more.

Assassins served no other purpose but to kill. Assassins who were in no position to call what's right or wrong. Assassins who can only do as they were told.

And despite knowing all of this, the words still manages to push through her breaking voice, "It's not fair..."

Rayla angrily blinked back the rise of tears, gripping the edges of the cliff tighter as she glared ahead. She didn't ask for them to-

"We don't decide what's fair and what isn't."

Silence. And then-

"I know."

Runaan never said anything. Maybe it was because he understood.

That's why he let her break down as she cried it all out. And she supposed it brought her comfort to know it was him who was there instead.

* * *

She didn't want to but she had to pack anyway.

Rayla didn't bring much though. Just a few pairs of her clothes, some moonberries and a few other elven snacks, a piece of parchment of written down recipes from Runaan, a small little dagger and a map of the Human Kingdoms in case "something went wrong" (with a separate map of a detailed Katolis).

She heard someone enter her room accompanied with a question, "You're wearing that?"

Rayla turned around to find Tinker standing there with an eyebrow raised and she only scowled in response, "What? What's wrong with this?"

She was wearing her normal attire; her assassin's armor-wear along with her dual switchblades hidden beneath her vest. She was not going to give these up without a fight; to heck was she immediately wearing a dress in her first MONTH in that place.

"You look like you're plan on storming the castle and assassinating the king," he couldn't be anymore blunt.

"I mean, that was the original plan, yes."

"Yeah, and the plan now is a peace alliance, yes?"

"I believe that's what the itinerary said."

"Uh huh. And?"

"What are they gonna do?" Rayla challenged, "Take it off me?"

They had a bit of a staring contest before Tinker shrugged, "I mean, that's a good point."

Despite the dreadful day ahead, Rayla cracked a grin, "Glad you see it my way then. I could definitely tolerate you being my father-in-law."

"Har, har, very funny," her grin turned to a smirk at the slight tint of pink on his cheeks, "I came to see you off."

"And now, you have my blessing."

Tinker ignored her as he reached into his pocket, "Before that, I have something for you."

Rayla cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling in an exaggerated matter, "Runaan! Can we please keep him?"

"Nice try, princess, but he's at the market," Tinker retorted before pulling out a necklace and handing it to her.

Rayla eyed it suspiciously before peering at him, "First of all, don't call me that. And second, won't I be getting more of these necklaces when I... you know."

"Become a princess?" She threw a pillow at him but he only duck to the side as he continued explaining, "It's not just any ordinary necklace, Rayla."

He waited for her to get it as her eyes widened in realization, "Oh."

Tinker gave her a smile, eyes twinkling with mischief as she took the necklace with a bit more care, "When you see it fit, crush the Moon Opal and say 'mystica-arbora'."

Rayla turned her gaze back to him, "And what would 'mystica-arbora' mean?"

Tinker shrugged innocently, "Dunno. 'Hide me' or somethin'?"

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but decided to let it go as she clasped the necklace around her neck before slipping it in, hidden from view, "In all honesty though? Thank you, Tinker."

"My pleasure," then he bowed mockingly, "princess."

She deadpanned, "I take back having you as my father-in-law. You no longer have my blessing."

Tinker only let out a good-natured laugh before leaving her to finish packing her things. After a few more minutes of seeing if she'd taken everything she needed (or wanted), she slung her light pack over her shoulder and headed downstairs to see Runaan by the doorway, talking to Tinker. They'd been so deep into the conversation that they didn't even notice her until she cleared her throat.

"You better not have the wedding when I'm not here," Rayla teased them.

Tinker crossed his arms, "Actually, I think that idea sounds a lot more appealing."

"What? You two getting married?"

"You not being here."

"But like, you gotta admit. The wedding sounds pretty appealing too though."

“Whatever pleases the princess.”

“Call me that again-“

“Speaking of which,” Runaan interrupted before the banter turned into a wrestling match, “Shouldn’t you be wearing something more appropriate for the occasion?

"I think my attire's pretty appropriate," Rayla stated firmly, crossing her arms with a determined stance.

Before Runaan could argue, a shadow glided over them, accompanied by the loud whoosh of air that breezed by. It was a dragon-- a red-scaled, sun dragon to be exact-- and it landed just a few ways away from the house. Behind it, Rayla could make out the rising sun, signalling the end of dawn.

Her mood dampened slightly as the reality of it began to sink in but she refused to give way to it.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long before Runaan broke the silence that had settled over the three of them, "Your ride is here."

Rayla's shoulders noticeably drooped but she quickly straightened them once again, eyes glaring with determination as she tightened her grip on the strap of her pack. She refused a repeat of last night; she didn't have the undercover of darkness to be vulnerable now.

Turning to both Tinker and Runaan, she shot them both a grin, though it seemed more forced, "I guess I'll see you guys later."

Tinker smiled back, "We'll miss yeh, Ray."

"Rayla-" Runaan seemed to hesitate. If anything, it was the closest she'd seen her mentor and guardian unsure for a long time. The Moonshadow assassin finally settled with a, "Just stay in touch, alright?"

She cracked a more genuine smile and things seemed okay that one moment, "Like I'd want to do anythin' else. Might even overdo it."

"Please don't."

Both Rayla and Tinker huffed out a laugh and the corners of Runaan's mouth seemed to tilt upwards. The moment was interrupted by the loud grumble of the dragon that had neared them, wings ruffling with impatience.

Rayla sighed before beginning to head towards the dragon, walking backwards to glance at the two elves, "I gotta go."

Tinker snorted, "Yeah clearly."

"Enough with the tough act. Yeh know yer gonna miss me."

"Kinda up for debate but I'll let you have this one."

"Please refrain from doing anything stupid," Runaan called out.

"No promises," Rayla then shot them both a smirk once she reached the dragon, "Oh, and try not to keep the neighbors awake. Garlath knows what you'll do with the house to yourselves."

Runaan raised an eyebrow as if questioning what she meant but Tinker seemed to get the implication for he seemed to turn a darker shade of purple. She let out a quick laugh before quickly climbing onto the dragon, who'd knelt down to let her on. She barely had time to settle comfortably when the dragon immediately got to its feet, beating its huge wings twice before leaping up and taking off into the air.

After quickly adjusting to a more secure grip, she turned back to look at the only home she'd ever known, watching until Tinker and Runaan disappeared over the mountain.

And yet she refused to let it sink in.


	2. Sealed Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I had hoped to give you a choice. A chance. I had been short-sighted. Had been foolish to never realize that such a war... could affect the generation after because of the actions we took now."
> 
> "What is it, King Harrow?"
> 
> "King Azymondias wanted to stop the war. But there were... certain arrangements to be made."

**\--Callum--**

"You're mad."

"I am not mad."

"You're upset."

"What gave it away?"

"Um," the young boy shifted, watching the scene from the safety of his bed, "You're drawing with a frown on your face. And that's the third time your charcoal snapped." A snapping noise, followed by a groan of frustration, was heard. "Or- well- four now, I guess-"

"Yep! I draw when I'm upset," the boy's older brother exclaimed before angrily throwing his charcoal somewhere around the room. He leaned back on his chair, hands burying into his hair as he pulled at it with frustration.

“Yep, he’s mad,” the young boy muttered to his small, toad-like creature that sat beside him. His companion only let out a low grumble of agreement.

“I... am not mad,” the teenage boy breathed in deeply to calm himself, “Just upset, Ez.”

“Looks like a pretty thin line between mad and upset to me,” he commented commented, wincing at the look his older brother gave him. When he got up to retrieve his charcoal, Ezran dared press, “Callum, does this have something to do with your meeting with dad?”

Callum paused when he returned to his seat, thinking over his response before sighing, “Yeah. Pretty much.”

Ezran was silent for a moment before he quietly asked, “Was it that bad?”

Callum glanced down at the sketch he'd been drawing. It was of a certain girl that he'd been crushing on for quite a while; she was sitting on a bench, reading a book under the shade of a tree. "Pretty much."

"Oh."

Callum glanced back to see the worried frown on his brothers face. He shot him a weak smile to try and reassure him, "Don't worry, Ez, I'll be fine. Anyways, it's pretty late. I'll... tell you about it in the morning, yeah?"

The younger of the two brothers gave him a deep look, eyes still concerned but he reluctantly nodded, "Alright. Good night, Callum."

Callum smiled at him warmly, "Night Ez."

"Love ya."

"Love you too."

* * *

The next day was spent replaying the events before. Callum hadn't gotten much sleep that night and ended up missing his sword-fighting lessons with Soren (not that he was any good at that anyway). He couldn't even focus on his lessons with Opeli, ending up spacing out or gazing out the window.

He knew. He KNEW.

Didn't mean it hurt any less.

"Prince Callum," he could still remember every word, every vivid moment, when King Harrow of Katolis, summoned him. Still remembered when the king, his stepfather, hesitated, wishing that he didn't have to, "There is... something I need to tell you."

He started the talk with the peace meeting he and the other monarchs of the Pentarchy had with the new King of the Dragons. During those long, tense hours, the whole world seemed to hold their breaths, unable to listen in on the once-warring rulers who were locked away in a room.

"There were... many wrongs that happened on both sides. I am responsible with some of those wrongs," King Harrow continued, stalling and perhaps trying to soften the blow that Callum seemed to anticipate, "King Azymondias was strong enough to turn the tides of the war around on us... but instead, he was stronger. He was willing to forgive the deed that I had done on his own father just to stop the war."

"So, you had that peace treaty," Callum nodded.

No one knew what happened but whatever was discussed, it managed to successfully stop the war. That had been exactly 6 months ago.

"Callum," his stepfather took in a deep breath before exhaling, "This isn't easy. I had hoped to give you a choice. A chance. I had been short-sighted. Had been foolish to never realize that such a war... could affect the generation after because of the actions we took now."

He began to feel more nervous and he struggled to keep his calm but his voice slightly shook when he asked, "What is it, King Harrow?"

The King of Katolis looked at him with pained eyes before evading his gaze, almost seeming ashamed, "King Azymondias wanted to stop the war. But there were... certain arrangements to be made."

Harrow wished to have consulted his son before but he hadn't been able to leave the room until the treaty had been decided and signed; a meeting that had been strictly all-rulers. Just because King Azymondias was willing to put it aside for peace, it didn't mean that he was about to let Harrow off the hook. To be the king that led the war and caused the death of thousands, he had to pay that price through his own son.

And for the sake of peace, Harrow signed it.

For Callum, it was pretty much a given the moment he entered this life. Despite being the older prince, he wasn't born with any ounce of royal blood in him. He wasn't born to become the next King of Katolis and he's pretty much useless in the art of swords (art of drawing was more his thing).

He didn't ask to become the step-prince of Katolis. He didn't ask for his mom to fall in love with King Harrow. But what power did he have over what he was meant to be but a tool for kingdom alliances?

So he didn't argue.

The rulers of the Pentarchy, elven representatives, and the King of the Dragons agreed to have 6 months to withdraw their troops from the border and begin rebuilding before the Treaty of Concordia could properly take effect. Now, that deadline draws near.

"In three days time, the rest of the Pentarchy will know what you know now," the king told him this yesterday.

Callum only has two more days. His fate has already been sealed and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

"Hey Callum," the teenage boy jolted from his spot under a tree, glancing up to meet a familiar face with a kind smile, "Heard you skipped your sword-fighting lessons."

"O-Oh Claudia," Callum chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck out of habit, "Yeah I kinda slept in..."

Claudia only shrugged, "Don't worry, I've slept in a few of times. You could guess dad wasn't too happy."

"I could imagine," they both shared a light laugh.

Claudia's father was the kingdom's High Mage, one of the most talented dark magic mages in the Pentarchy, and one of the king's closest advisors. He was also pretty... intense. A sudden thought entered Callum's mind; knowing that the elves and dragons banished humans because of dark magic, he wondered if that topic was ever brought up at that peace meeting. Perhaps he would find out soon enough.

And just like that, his mood dampened at the sudden reality check.

Claudia seemed to have noticed, a frown forming on her mouth before she leaned over him. In an attempt to continue their conversation, she gestured to the empty page on his open sketchbook that lay on his lap, "Having an art block?"

"Something like that..." Usually, he'd jump at any opportunity to spend more time with Claudia. After all, he'd been crushing on her for the last few years and had only began to gain the courage to handle longer conversations with her.

But he couldn't bring himself up to. He no longer had that choice anyway.

"Is something wrong?" He glanced up to find concern in her eyes and he felt his heart crack.

“Nah I’m just tired and stuff,” he hated it. Hated how he couldn’t tell her. Hated how that even if he did, nothing would change. He’ll never really have a choice.

It’s just the world he lived in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll thank you so much for the comments, I am a lil shook that some were willing to give this story a try XD
> 
> Now to important matters... HOW YEH GUYS FEELIN' ABOUT THAT TRAILER? I've been watching and re-watching it for 30 minutes straight and I am still shook. November 22 can't get here any faster!!!!!
> 
> So anyway, here's Callum struggles about this "arrangement" :D
> 
> You could guess they're gonna get the "first sight of each other" next chapter :D
> 
> i'm a sucker for rayllum and that trailer did not help.


	3. Chains of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only then did it hit her who exactly she was looking at.

**\--Callum--**

It hadn't been easy to tell Ezran but when he finally did, his brother just stood there at a lost of words.

"Do you want to do it?"

_Did it matter?_ "It's alright, I guess."

Ezran knew better though. He knew it wasn't alright but there was nothing neither could do. The king made his decision, the treaty's been signed, Callum's fate was sealed. That was his destiny.

Two days went by and the time came when he was to meet the elf he was to be married to. And he was still in his bedroom, basically hiding out as anxiety came at him with full force. It made sense to marry an elf if it were a peace alliance between humans and Xadia but the thought didn't really reassure him. It hadn't been THAT long ago since elves had- that they- that day he couldn't forget-

_Breathe,_ he heard a voice seemingly whisper to him, _Callum, you only need to breathe._

In and out. In and out.

"You're... going to be fine, Callum. Everything's gonna be alright," he told himself, taking his time to breathe. Finally, he exhaled deeply, "I'm going to be fine."

Don't get him wrong. He was thankful to not worry about not having a warm bed or when he'll get his next meal. But as he looked out the window and saw the distant figures of three flying creatures in the sky, Callum couldn't help but wonder that if things were just a tad different, would he be better off as a free, common boy than a step prince who was never born one?

"Callum?" The door opened and out popped in Ezran's head, looking at him with concern, "Are you ready? They're here."

If it hadn't been for Callum, would Ezran have to take his place? _To be chained down by an arranged marriage because of the consequences of a war of hate and revenge? A cycle no one can seem to be free from?_

Callum sucked in a deep breath then straightened up with a sense of renewed purpose, "Yeah. Let's go."

If not for the sake of peace, he could do it for his brother instead. One more victim to fall into the chains of history then hope that the next king of Katolis won't ever have to do the same.

**\--Rayla--**

It made sense to marry a human if it were a peace alliance to end the ruthless war between humans and elves. But the fact that it had to be her made little to no sense and the reasons for it (read: excuses) made her livid.

You know what would've made more sense? The daughter of an elven general, daughter of a high mage, or daughter of the high elven court. Heck why not just some random rich elven noble girl or maybe even an anti-war, human-loving, peace-making elf?

Of all the possible and heckin' BETTER options, why did they choose one of the assassins who’d been on a mission to kill the King of Katolis; the king whose _son_ she's supposed to _marry?!_

The brooding storm that seemed to follow the Moonshadow elf made all the other elven diplomats that joined her on the trip (who were riding on separate dragons), steer clear from her. Rayla almost felt sorry for the dragon she'd been stuck with since she left home.

Almost.

The sun dragon could barely care less if her ride was comfortable, choosing to fly to his own liking like his passenger's life wasn't on the line. Heck, she had to hold in her own bladder until they reached the capital city to meet up with the rest of the elven diplomats who were to join her.

The dislike was very mutual, thank you very much.

Up ahead, Rayla could make out the faint outlines of a castle that now only appeared in her distant memories. The Katolis towers didn't seem to change much; it still looked like how she'd left it when she'd failed that very same mission almost three years ago.

Sucks just how much the past seems to have a thing for haunting her.

As they drew nearer, the two other dragons with her began swooping down to a slow descent. Not to her surprise, her sun dragon stubbornly stayed up the closer they got to the castle.

Rayla groaned, "Really? Gonna embarrass me in front of the humans too? Aren't we supposed to be on the same side?"

The dragon only snorted. She wasn't sure what the sun dragon's problem was. Maybe because they were polar opposites, arcaenum-wise but she opted to think he was just a stubborn grump.

Rayla, having anticipated it, held on in time as the sun dragon suddenly swooped downwards, picking up speed towards the castle and passing the rest of the dragons. She tightened her grip on whatever scales she could find as it suddenly arched back, spreading its wings to come to a sudden halt just a few meters from the city gates of Katolis. Already, she could see a large group of soldiers standing by the gates, some having stood back in fear.

As the sun dragon finally landed, the rest of the dragons arrived soon after with the four other elven diplomats; two Skywings, one Earthblood and one other Moonshadow elf.

They dismounted the dragons and Rayla took the opportunity to do the same, hopping off with pack in tow and landing gracefully on the ground as if to prove that it didn't need to kneel.

"Thanks for the 'ride'," she told the creature sarcastically and the dragon had the nerve to turn away and pretend she never existed in the first place

"Soooo you must be the elven guests King Harrow's been expecting," one of the human soldiers spoke, "Wasn't expecting for dragons to be part of the entourage."

He wore armor that had a silver and black emblem unlike the others, gold-linings with a cape that may suggest that he might be of higher rank. He was taller than Rayla by a few inches and had blonde hair with a face that suggests he wasn't that much older than her either. He had this air of aloof, arrogance.

She decided that she did not like him.

The elves looked amongst each other before one of the Skywing elves spoke up, "Yes, that is us. And you must be..."

"Soren. Captain of the Crownguard," he said and Rayla could detect a hint of smugness in his tone, "Here to escort you to the King."

"Very well then," the elves began to move and Rayla followed, fingers itching to have the comforts of her swords in her hands. She was about to enter Katolis through its main gate, surrounded by hundreds of humans.

Yey.

"Apapupupup!" The human named Soren stopped them before gesturing to the dragons who moved to follow, "I don't think-"

"The dragons are part of the entourage," this time, it was the Moonshadow elf who spoke up, his tone firm and his gaze even.

Soren glanced at him then at the dragons then at the rest of the elven diplomats. He returned his gaze with a look of dismay, his tone laced with a thinly veiled warning, "Okay then."

Rayla took notice that his hand never left the hilt of his sword the whole way through the city.

Speaking of the city, she has never felt so exposed before. The last time she'd come here, she'd snuck in by climbing the steep cliffs where the castle stood. She didn't have to have hundreds of human eyes gawking, glaring, and watching their every move from everywhere she looked as if they expected them to attack.

Imagine how they'd react when they soon find out that she'd be marrying their prince.

Well that was definitely going to be fun.

They finally reached the bridge that connected the city to the royal castle. At the entrance were a group of more guards but they made no move as they let them pass through the gates and into the courtyard where there were... you guessed it. More guards! There were three of them that stood apart from the rest, despite being in armour; two men (one a freckled ginger and the other an older, grey-bearded man) and a black haired woman with a regal look.

Something tells Rayla that she wasn't someone she was supposed to mess with and that was totally fine with her.

On the other side of the courtyard, standing in front of a set of dual stairs that led to what possibly seemed like the formal entrance to the castle, were humans dressed separate from the rest of the uniformed guards. Some of them wore long robes, and Rayla took a guess that they must be members of the king's court. One of them stood out to her, though. A man with a deep frown on his face, wearing robes darker than the rest and a long, silver staff in his hand.

She remembered him, remembered who exactly he was. _She could still hear his dark, distorted voice, his eyes glowing bright purple and the same staff swirling with purple energy. How he wiped out half the team and how Rayla stood there from afar, unable to reach them in time. Stood there, shocked, scared; soon a failure._

Rayla hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath and she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere when the dark mage's gaze swept past her.

She finally set her attention on the figure standing alone; cladded in red with a clear, golden crown sat atop the man's head. She needed no introduction to know who he was, despite never having seen him face to face.

As if on cue, the elven diplomats suddenly bowed their greetings to the king and Rayla quickly followed suit.

"Please, rise, there is no need for that," the king spoke, his tone deep yet warm. The elves complied. "Welcome to Katolis! I hope the journey here hadn't been too difficult."

"We are honored to be here, King Harrow," the first Skywing elf spoke, her tone calm as ever, "There was no trouble at all."

"I would like to apologize for the lack of absence of my sons," King Harrow went on, sounding sincere, "They should be here short- ah! There they are."

Rayla turned to see two boys entering the courtyard and approaching their father. The younger of the two resembled his father a lot more, also cladded in red with a youthful innocence to his face.

The older of the two didn't look like the king; he had dark brown hair, fair skin and he wore a blue jacket on top of a purple undershirt. He seemed to carry a sort of... book that was strapped around his shoulders. His movements seemed slightly stiff and uncomfortable (she might have an idea as to why) and despite the neutral look he displays, his lips were slightly frowning with a serious look in his eyes.

Only then did it hit her who exactly she was looking at.

"These are my sons; Prince Ezran and Prince Callum," the king introduced, gesturing to each one. The one named Ezran performed a quick bow, a kind smile on his face but even that seemed tense. Callum meanwhile gave a small bow and a nod.

The elves responded before the Skywing elf stepped forward and began introducing each of the elves; ambassadors, diplomats. The one speaking, Nephele, so happens to be one of King Azymondias' advisor. She'd spaced out halfway through the Earthblood elf's introduction when it finally got to her.

"...and this is Rayla," the Moonshadow elf in question finally tuned back in and she felt a thousand or so eyes swivel to her (Garlath this was scary!), "Our candidate. Personally chosen by King Azymondias himself."

At the word 'candidate' she saw flickers of surprise in some of the soldiers' gazes but a few seemed to have either known beforehand or suspected it. Some of Katolis' council members were whispering to each other while glancing over her as if scrutinizing for any hidden flaws. She only raised her head high, more intent than ever to have things her way as much as she could; she refused to be treated as a mere puppet of a human kingdom. _A symbol of peace and unity my arse!_

"It is an honor to meet you, Rayla," King Harrow spoke directly at her. She didn't know why but Rayla felt compelled to to respond and instead settled with a small bow. The king smiled before turning back to Nephele, "You must all be tired. We have prepared rooms for you and if there's anything you need, you only need to ask. We can quickly prepare something for the dragons as well if needed."

"There will be no need," this time, it was the Moonshadow elf who spoke; Izar. "They'd rather prefer the comforts of the forest."

"If I may, your majesty," the Earthblood elf spoke this time, "but I hope you don't mind if they... hang around."

The other elven diplomats gave him looks for the informal use of language but the king didn't seem to mind, "Of course. I will be sure to warn everyone to make sure they won't be alarmed. Now please come as we show you to your rooms."

The elves moved to follow as the dragons took off and the reality of it all was throbbing painfully throughout her head. It was happening. It was actually happening.

Only then did she realized that Callum was no longer in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's that "first look at each other" kind of meeting. Expect their first "conversation" sometime in the next few chapters :D
> 
> There were a couple more characters that we've seen (like Soren! Did you see him?!). Can you guess who the other characters are based on Rayla's description of them?
> 
> I'll be shedding more light on the "mission to assassinate the king three years ago" in the upcoming chapters as well so best keep that in mind.
> 
> Anyways, I'm very aware that the fandom has been going through rough times but let's not let that bring us down. If ya'll need a break, feel free to do so! But this comment section is not a thread to discuss these issues but a place for positivity. The TDP fandom is one of the strongest fandoms I've ever been in so let's keep bringing each other up. Drink in some Rayllum if you have to!
> 
> Season 3 isn't far now so let's keep holding on!


	4. Hard to Choose Wise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were finally dismissed to get ready for dinner but the conversation had only reinforced the idea that this was real. He was getting married to an elf he's never even had a proper conversation with, for a treaty that stopped a war that hadn't happened long ago, possibly becoming immortalized as one of the most controversial figures in future history textbooks. 
> 
> What a way to leave a mark in the world.

**\--Callum--**

An urgent knock on his door followed by a gruff voice jolted Callum from his attempt to distract himself with drawing, "Prince Callum. King Harrow would like to have a word with you before dinner."

Callum flinched. The last time he was summoned, he found out he was looped into an arranged marriage with an elf. Dinner was happening in an hour so that meant Harrow wanted a word now.

After quickly thanking the guard, he rushed down the halls and towards the throne room, ignoring the surprised looks of the other guards he passed. He slowed to a walk when he was in view of the throne room doors, once again wondering what it could possibly be about. He sucked in a deep breath before pushing through the doors of the throne room.

The step prince stopped when he realized that there were three other people in the room. There was King Harrow, who was seated at the round table on the side with Nephele the Skywing elf on his left. Across from him was the female Moonshadow elf, Rayla. The elven candidate for his arranged marriage.

Yeah, it never really properly hit him that her soon-to-be-wife (he supposed) was in the very same room he was in.

"Ah Prince Callum," King Harrow was the first one to notice, smiling at him reassuringly, "Please have a seat."

Callum complied, taking a seat on the king's right. As he took his seat, he glanced to his right and was met with the Moonshadow’s gaze. He'd never met anyone with purple eyes before. The look lasted for a good two seconds before they simultaneously looked away.

He tried to squash down his nervous feelings as he said, "You wanted a word, Your Majesty?"

"Uh yes," his stepfather seemed to frown slightly at his formality before addressing everyone, "I wanted to consult you two about something and I figured it would be the most comfortable if we had as less an audience as possible."

Nephele only nodded in understanding beside him while the younger two looked on.

"As you two already know, the Treaty of Concordia was signed to stop the war and one of the conditions listed in this treaty is an arranged marriage of both human and elf," King Harrow looked from Rayla to Callum, eyes serious, "And you have both been chosen as the candidates for this, ah, arrangement."

Phew, well this was awkward. What a way to get engaged (they are engaged, right? Heck, he didn’t know at this point).

"Details of how this will work will be discussed more tomorrow," King Harrow went on as if it was meant to reassure them, "What I wanted to discuss is what you two would find most comfortable with how you are to be introduced to the people."

Beside him, Rayla seemed to flinched. It had completely slipped Callum's mind. Of course Harrow would have to tell the kingdom at some point. They were basically going to get a princess soon— an elven princess!

"O-Oh," Callum seemed to squeak out and Rayla shifted in her spot. Yeah, this was really awkward.

Nephele looked on with slight amusement as the king carried on, this time directly addressing Rayla, "Now we must be real. The war wasn't long ago and many will be opposed to this. But I figured that the sooner they know, the sooner they start to see that they must accept it."

"Er, right," was the Moonshadow elf's response. She seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but here right now and honestly, so did Callum.

That had also been the first time he’s heard her voice. He could detect a slight accent in her tone.

Nephele must've taken pity because she spoke up, "When do you plan on announcing it, Your Majesty?"

"I'd hope to announce it tomorrow and explain the treaty since it has, in fact, officially taken affect yesterday," King Harrow answered before asking Rayla, "Would you, and please be honest, be comfortable in being physically introduced to the people? Or would you rather I inform them first then introduce you when things have... calmed down?"

He was implying that things were going to be intense. People are going to disagree which may put Rayla in danger.

Rayla seemed to think through it and it had been quiet for a while, the three of them waiting for her opinion. Callum almost felt sorry; the awkwardness was almost unbearable, "I think... the second option would be wiser."

Harrow nodded before turning to his son, "And Callum?"

"I agree," Callum quickly answered.

"Very well," King Harrow said before turning to Nephele, "I will inform the kingdom tomorrow and we will make adjustments from there."

_Make adjustments like adding more security depending on the people's response?_

They were finally dismissed to get ready for dinner but the conversation had only reinforced the idea that this was real. He was getting married to an elf he's never even had a proper conversation with, for a treaty that stopped a war that hadn't happened long ago, possibly becoming immortalized as one of the most controversial figures in future history textbooks.

What a way to leave a mark in the world.

**\--Rayla--**

Rayla skipped dinner.

She'd already been introduced to the royal family in her training garb so she could care less about first impressions now.

That had been the most painfully awkward and pressuring conversation she's ever had.

King Harrow had the right to be cautious though, especially because of the history of hatred between their two races. He was implying that things were going to be intense in his announcement tomorrow. That people are going to disagree, putting Rayla in danger. Meaning that she‘ll be stuck in the castle, forced to hide because of who she was. Hide where there's a less chance of any assassination attempts, possibly with a bodyguard of her own for extra security (assuming that they don't plan on assassinating her themselves). Meaning that she had to force herself to hide like a coward, instead of facing it like a Moonshadow elf.

And she hated that more than anything.

Then she remembered Runaan's last few words before she left, "Please refrain from doing anything stupid."

He'd said that often, or something of that variation, during her training as an assassin. _Don't do something stupid, don't act out of anger or spite. Wait till you find an opening then you attack._

Okay, so maybe that might make more sense for assassin training but it made sense for this context too. Why make it harder for herself and speed up her own funeral?

It didn't mean it sucked any less.

So now she'd climbed on top of the highest tower in the castle and sat down on its shackled roof. She hugged her knees closer to her chest as she glanced up at the moon, bright and clear. It hadn't been a day in Katolis and she already missed Runaan— heck even Tinker— wishing she were anywhere but here.

At least she was freer-er then. At least she had a choice.

She wondered, not for the first time, that if she hadn't messed it up on that mission three years ago, if she had killed the scout whose life she spared, would she be a hero now rather than a failure? At least it would've cleared her already-tainted name; the child of cowards, of traitors.

Her grip on the edge she sat on tightened in anger. Weren’t they the reasons she was chosen in the first place?

Out of all the more reasonable options, King Azymondias picked her. Not many knew why but she did.

It was one final attempt of revenge for an unfinished deed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hullo! Slightly kinda early update-ish because I'm gonna be pretty busy this weekend! Also, sorry if the chapter's a bit short. The next few will be "slightly" longer.
> 
> Anyways, how was that first Rayllum conversation starter :D This is gonna be a slow burn and, sometimes, quite a painful one (cause angst and denial but ya'll totally don't need to know that yeeeeeet)
> 
> We also got a bit more light on that assassination mission three years ago :0
> 
> Any theories on what might happen during Rayla's "residency" in Katolis? Also, any guesses on what she's talking about in the very last night of the chapter?


	5. Lasting First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most, as expected, wore varying negative emotions with one clear message; this was insane.
> 
> “They didn’t like it, did they?”

**—Rayla—**

“I noticed you skipped dinner last night,” was the first thing Nephele told her when she woke her up.

The two were waiting in the hallways for the rest of the elven diplomats to join them for breakfast.

Rayla huffed, “Wasn’t hungry.”

“Your absence then could be excused for being overwhelmed from the long day,” Nephele told her, her tone serious, “but you cannot keep coming and going as you wish.”

Rayla crossed her arms, irked to be having this conversation in the morning, “I’ll go whenever my stomach wishes me to.”

“Why that won’t get you into the King’s good graces in the long run,” she turned to find the Earthblood elf approaching, a guffaw to his laugh, “Though your parents ought to have at least taught you how to make a lasting impression. I sure wasn’t expecting...” He gestured to her outfit, “I don’t know, armor? But it seemed to do the trick. The court’s been talkin’ ‘bout you nonstop!”

“Uh yeeeea,” Rayla said, smirking at Nephele who’d been rolling her eyes at the Earthblood elf, “I heard Katolis had a thing for female warriors.” She actually heard no such thing and was just making things up.

“Huh, really?” The Earthblood elf, ever oblivious as ever, went on, “Wait! Nephele, wasn’t the late Queen Sarai a warrior? The King’s wife?”

“Yes, Shaw, she was,” Nephele answered, frowning at the elf and clearly looking troubled and uncomfortable at the sudden topic, “Perhaps we should keep it at that.”

“Oh right, right,” the Earthblood elf (that she now knew as Shaw), nodded sheepishly, “It completely slipped my mind.”

Rayla had no idea what they’d been talking about. She hadn’t had time to wonder why she had never seen the Queen nor had it occurred to her that she had passed away. If Runaan had mentioned anything about a Queen Sarai, she couldn’t remember.

Before she could ask however, the other two elves had already reached them, causing her to shut her mouth. They began the walk to the dining room, leaving Rayla to wonder in her curiosity.

**—Callum—**

Well this was a packed breakfast. Usually, breakfast mornings were spent with just Callum, his brother and his stepfather; with the occasional Aunt Amaya (+Gren), guests or Viren and his kids.

But there WERE more guests than they’ve had for a long time. And there WERE important matters to discuss with limited time.

Along with the aforementioned few above (except for Ezran, who'd been deemed too young, and Viren's children because... well they don't really have business here), the elves were here and so was the full Katolis court. Rayla, who’d missed dinner last night, was here too, sitting right across from Callum, which seemed pretty intentional if he didn't know any better. After all, the elves were all seated on one side while the others sat across from them, the king at the very end of the table.

“I hope your first night here was comfortable,” King Harrow spoke up, quieting down the silent murmurs.

“Yes, we were very comfortable. And we are grateful for your hospitality," Nephele replied while the other elves nodded, except one; the older Moonshadow elf, Izar, only looked on with an icy gaze that flitted across the table. Callum thought that it was a very Viren-level type of stare.

“Very well,” King Harrow nodded, seeming satisfied, before placing his folded hands on the table; a gesture that, to Callum, meant things were about to get real, “Shall we get down to business?”

It started off light. They discussed some trade agreements and plans to further promote this new “culture of peace” through celebrations and balls. They confirmed the lifting of the border separation in another three months or so if things went by smoothly. They discussed other things that Callum had tuned out because at some point, the food finally arrived.

Besides, it wasn’t like his input was needed yet (or needed at all).

But when the topic got to Dark Magic, the mood noticeably dropped. His gaze automatically went to lord Viren where a set frown was formed on his face.

“I am aware that King Azymondias had been very clear for wanting to permanently ban the practice of Dark Magic,” King Harrow said, seeming to choose his words carefully, “And he is very aware of our reasons as to why that might pose a problem for us. I’d like to be clear that nothing has been concretely decided yet.”

“Yes, we too are aware of this,” Izar the Moonshadow Elf had spoken up, ever holding as much emotion as a rock, “And we would like to emphasize that King Azymondias’ intends for a permanent ban on this abominable practice.”

“This ‘practice’ is essential for human... advancement,” as expected, Viren suddenly spoke up, his tone curt.

“If by that you mean, it ‘keeps humans on par with elven primal magic’ then sure,” Shaw the Earthblood elf, said it so easily as if they were discussing the weather, “but I must say, stealing the life essence of a living creature is, ah, well- not...” He looked at his other elven companions (who were staring/glaring at him) before settling with, “...nice.”

The thin line of Viren’s lips threatens to turn into a downward scowl, but before he could say something, Harrow cut him to it.

“As had been said, nothing is permanent,” King Harrow said, giving Viren a quick look of warning before addressing the elves, “And we are aware of King Azymondias’ aim to this meeting. But we simply cannot just discard centuries old of human tradition. I would like to propose some alterations and adding limitations instead to lessen the risks of...”

They hadn’t been able to go far because breakfast (which basically became brunch because of how long the meeting had lasted), was over. King Harrow dismissed the party, promising to continue these negotiations at dinner after his important announcement to the people.

Callum waited as everyone else filed out before walking towards his stepfather, only to slow down when he caught snippets of a whispered argument between Harrow and Viren.

“To permanently ban Dark Magic is an outrage, Harrow. You cannot seriously be thinking-“

"Nothing has been decided," King Harrow sounded tired, as if this hadn't been the first time they've argued about this topic, "It is likely that we won't end up having to ban it at all-"

"Not yet," Viren only hissed, "Your 'alternative' solutions and imposed limitations might as well have been as much a ban!" The King sighed out in frustration, rubbing his eyes and the dark mage went on, his voice softer, "Harrow, the war hadn't been long ago. Centuries of hatred doesn't just disappear over night! We cannot forget the fact that they have primal magic on their side."

Harrow scoffed, "Viren, you cannot seriously be thinking-"

"If we let them have their way, we'll be at a disadvantage-"

“I am aware of what Dark Magic really is, how many lives it has taken,” The King's voice was firm, almost angry as he abruptly stood up, silencing the dark mage who'd taken a step back, “but because I know how much it means to you, I won’t ban it. But if something happens, Viren, behind my back-“

And Callum decided that now wasn't a good time, rerouting his course towards the exit. He didn’t need to hear the rest to know that the warning was loud and clear.

* * *

Callum watched from the safety of one of the windows through the hallways as King Harrow finished the announcement.

The response? Not all that great.

It had been met with shocked gasps, uncertain murmurs, and shouts of outrage (as expected). So much so that it took Harrow a full minute to quiet down the crowd, doing his best to explain this necessary treaty to achieve the peace the majority yearned.

Callum knew arranged marriages was one way to forge an alliance. But to have one between two races that had a deep history of hatred towards one another; to Callum, it seemed too soon for an arrangement like that. Part of him wondered what King Azymondias, as kind as he was to stop the war, was thinking. Surely even the King of Dragons must’ve expected that this would be met with very negative responses from both sides. As King Harrow finally finished and retreated indoors, Callum watched as guards began herding the people outside.

Most, as expected, wore varying negative emotions with one clear message; this was insane.

“They didn’t like it, did they?”

Callum jumped at the sudden intrusion of someone‘s voice and he spun around to find her leaning on the opposite wall, arms crossed. The Moonshadow elf’s gaze was guarded and hard to read but she couldn’t fully seem to meet him straight in the eyes.

Before he could respond, the elf shrugged, “I mean, of course they don’t. Who’d want a princess with pointy ears?”

Her sudden appearance sent many thoughts shooting through his brain as he panicked for a response. His thoughts went something like, _She's here- she's talking to me- what do I say?_

It didn't really help that human prejudice against elves was something he kind of had to grow up with so he was understandably terrified to an extent. That and- _how exactly are you supposed to talk to your spouse-to-be when she pops out of nowhere and you haven't exactly been planning on having your first conversation with your fellow-arranged-marriage-candidate alone in a hallway and-_

His response kinda went something like, “N-No one would- why would they- what I’m trying to say- your ears are great- fine- I mean-“

Rayla cut him off, having heard enough of his rambling, “Look, yer highness." Her accent was pretty loud and clear right then. Her purple eyes turned a darker shade, a fire in them that did not help calm the prince's nerves, "Let’s not beat around the bush here. I want to be married to a human as much as you want to be married to an elf; which is to say, not so much."

"No I- well, I mean-" Maybe he shouldn't have talked 'cause her already scowling face scowled even more (if that were possible).

"Just stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours and we’ll get along just fine. Got it?” She gave him no room to reply, “Good.”

Then she turned the other way and disappeared around the corner, leaving Callum alone in the hallway, shocked. When he finally managed to catch up to his thoughts and everything that had went down the last five minutes dawned on him, he felt like smacking himself.

“‘Your ears are great’ ugh! Callum you idiot,” he groaned in frustration.

He’d been so caught off guard that he hadn’t been able to properly formulate a proper sentence. Yes, he would rather do anything else rather than be forced into an arranged marriage with an elf but he didn’t mean to offend her. Now he’d messed it up. He really was setting himself up for a "painful" marriage ahead of him!

Then again, it wasn't like she seemed pretty open about it anyway, making no effort to meet him halfway in his efforts to "keep things friendly" or something. She seemed pretty intent on hating him, that was for sure.

Either way, he had a feeling these lasting first impressions is just an omen to their lives afterwards.

Unity of peace? Unity of chaos more like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ya'll! Weird to be writing Rayllum on their "i-don't-like-you-right-now" phase when I just watched season 3.
> 
> No spoilers but HOW INSANE WAS THAT?! You also might've noticed the late update and, heh, well I kinda wanted to watch season 3 first before updating. Sorry! XD
> 
> I just finished it today and I am DEFINITELY REWATCHING IT!
> 
> Okay so few things concerning this chap. The elven diplomats seemed pretty apprehensive when mentioning Queen Sarai hmmmm. Dark Magic issues have arisen! And Callum and Rayla are off to a... start that could've gone better hehe..
> 
> But I guess my question is... what was Zym really thinking, proposing this arranged marriage?
> 
> See ya'll next chapter!


	6. The Jelly Tart Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wait, do you like jelly tarts?"
> 
> "Jelly tarts?"
> 
> "Yeah! It's the best snack in all of Katolis!"

**—Rayla—**

Rayla had been about to enter the dining hall for dinner when someone stopped her, “Rayla, was it?”

She turned and it took all her will to force herself not to flinch when she realized who it was. Jeez this Dark Mage was scarier up-close, a frown on his wrinkled face. His staff produced an intimidating thud every time it hit the ground.

“Yes. That would be me... uh, Viren?”

“It’s lord Viren,” he said this with such an air of ‘I-am-so-important’ vibes that it compelled Rayla to get on his nerves.

And get on his nerves, she did. “Ah, my apologies. I wasn’t aware that everyone else had titles here but the king."

Viren’s lips were pressed into a thin line before his face transformed to that of calm, “Oh no, not everyone. But speaking of titles, I’ve... actually been doing some research on your family lineage and, ah, I cannot seem to find anything on elven nobles with a daughter named Rayla.” Her blood ran cold and she struggled to act indifferent. “Your name wouldn’t happen to be short for something else, would it? Unless...”

“Ah Rayla! There you are.” She had never been so glad to have Shaw (that Earthblood elf, may Garlath have mercy) come to her rescue, “I am here to inform you that you won’t be needed for the meeting tonight. I’m assuming that we’d be taking care of the Dark Magic issue today...” Shaw caught sight of Viren and his demeanor noticeably shifted slightly, his smile a little tighter, “Was I interrupting something?”

“Actually, we were just about finished,” Viren replied curtly, nodding to both of them, though his gaze hardened at the young Moonshadow elf, “Good night, lady Rayla.”

The elves watched as he disappeared into the dining room.

"Never liked him, that man. It's a miracle King Azymondias hadn't included 'the execution of the Katolian dark mage' in the treaty. Considering, well, many things," Shaw wrinkled his nose in disgust. Rayla didn't need him to elaborate; she knew how terrible he was (and knowing she'd be seeing more of the man was not a comforting thought). The Earthblood elf turned to Rayla, a serious look taking over his usually light demeanor, "There are some humans you can't trust. And anyone affiliated with dark magic is a good start to your list."

"Oh I'm way ahead of yeh," Rayla muttered darkly.

She had a title now. And she hated it. But not as much for the retreating figure of the dark mage.

* * *

Since she had no plans on sleeping any time soon, Rayla decided to sneak around the hallways and try to familiarize herself with her... place of residence.

Cobbled brick walls, red carpets, historic paintings, royal portraits, and armor racks that sometimes scare the Garlath out of her was definitely something she could totally get used to, living here

_Please note the sarcasm_. She felt trapped!

The worst part of it all was that this was the place she was going to be holed up in, until the people’s reactions have calmed down (technically the worst part was her possibly staying here till death but she refuse to let that thought process).

Rayla let out a long sigh, turning the corner and expecting to find the same looking hallways. What she didn't expect was a toad-like creature standing dead-smack in the middle of the hallway; small and yellow with blue dots, staring at her with a look of pure grumpiness. They stared at each other for a good 5 seconds; Rayla cautious and the creature frowning.

Then its tongue slithered out, slapping straight into its left eye, disgustingly licking it back down into its mouth. Rayla was officially done for tonight.

"Ugh," the Moonshadow elf slightly recoiled in disgust, "Like... why?"

The weird, unknown creature only let out a croaky-grunt, retaining its grumpy frown that seemed permanent on its face.

She was just about to continue on her way when another sound made her jump back to her defenses. She quickly pinpointed the sound-- of stones sliding against one another-- to the wall nearby, only to find it parting til a small hole was formed.

"Bait?" A head with fuzzy hair poked out from the hole and Rayla had to blink a few times to make sure that she was not hallucinating, "There you are!"

The creature, who was supposedly 'Bait', grunted. First of, _who names a creature Bait?_ The boy crawled out the hole and towards the creature, still oblivious to the Moonshadow elf who'd been watching this strange interaction. Now, let's add a, _'what prince crawls out of a random wall that opened out of nowhere and calls a toad, Bait’_ to that question.

Dang, was this how the rest of her life was going to look like?

"Just 'cause you know the tunnels as well as I do, doesn't mean you could just..." the young prince trailed off when he finally caught sight of another person in the room.

Rayla looked in between the creature and the prince, who were both now staring at her and decided that things were gonna get more awkward and weirder the longer she stayed here. She pointed back to the way she came from, slowly backing away, "You know what? I'm just gonna go-"

"Wait! You're Rayla, right?" And here she was hoping he didn't recognize her.

She studied the young boy's face only to find genuine curiosity before slowly nodding her head, "Yeah, that would be me."

Then he did something she did not expect. The prince's face lit up into a bright smile, "Oh! It's cool to finally meet you."

And in all honesty, Rayla was taken back by the sincerity in his words. Perhaps it was because he was the only human who'd given her as much as an actual smile during her first two days here (yes King Harrow was kind too but he was a busy man with many things to do, like avoiding a possible riot and trying to accommodate for all the elves). The guards seemed to tense when she passed by and only one council member personally came up to talk to her (and he was a butt). She didn't even want to think about her partner-to-be.

Or maybe it was because no one else actually said that it was "cool to finally" meet her. Runaan had taken her in as a kid (and he was all "tough-assassin" guy) and Tinker had known her almost as long as he did. She never really had much friends; there were the occasional acquaintances and those she did become friends with didn't stick for too long. She had a tendency to annoy people back then but it got even worse three years ago when... well, she didn't want to get into that.

"I'm Ezran," the boy continued, extending her hand for a handshake.

She eyed his hand-- his five fingered-hand-- before shaking his hand, "I know. You're the prince."

"Who? Me?" Ezran let out a chuckled, "Nah. I'm actually a thief today." His eyes lit up again, as if a brilliant idea had struck him, "Wait, do you like jelly tarts?"

"Jelly tarts?"

"Yeah! It's the best snack in all of Katolis!" The creature, Bait, grunted at this and Ezran shot him a look, "Hey, you like them just as much as I do."

Rayla looked between the peculiar duo. Who knew the younger prince of Katolis had a pet toad named Bait, who he shares seemingly one-sided conversations with while coming out through random holes in the castle?

She wondered if the other prince-- her... betrothed apparently-- was just as peculiar. Considering their last encounter with each other... oh right, she didn't want to think about it.

"Anyways, you should give it a shot," Ezran suggested, a grin on his face, "You won't regret it."

She should say no. That might've been smarter. I mean, imagine anyone finding an elf roaming around the castle with the young prince, who was unguarded? She knew she was technically a resident of the castle now but that didn't mean the war was forgotten.

Besides, what reason did she have for saying yes besides being bored?

A pause.

"Sure, why not?"

She was bored.

"Great! C'mon!" The young prince began heading back towards the small tunnel, the small creature already disappearing inside, "Bait and I were just about to start a heist!"

Rayla gave him a look, "A what now?"

The young prince of Katolis shrugged in the most innocent of matters, "I did say I was a thief today."

Before she could get in a response, he was already disappearing into the hole, giving her no choice but to follow.

It was a little tight for her, considering she was slightly bigger than the younger prince so she had to squat/crawl her way through. The deeper they went, the wider the opening got. What surprised her were the bright crystals that illuminated the way, giving a light source that grew brighter as she got more adjusted to the darkness.

"So," Rayla spoke up once the caves widened enough for her to semi-walk properly, "Do human princes usually lead a double life as thieves or is that just you?"

"I think it's just me," Ezran replied easily, "Though I get Callum to join me sometimes but-" He frowned, his gaze flickering to her, "-he's kinda... busy, I guess."

The elf fell silent, not knowing how else to reply. Even if the young prince never mentioned it, Rayla had a feeling that Ezran had been implying something concerning her shared predicament with his brother. A thought struck her, one where she wondered how well the older prince was taking this. She pushed it away, not wanting to dwell on that.

_Should she be asking about him? But, wouldn't that mean that it was real? That this was happening and that she was finally accepting the fact that she was an elf trapped as a diplomatic tool against her will?_

Fortunately for her, the silence didn't last long.

"We're here," Ezran announced, his voice lowering to a hush tone. He then took a turn, crawling into a smaller tunnel and Rayla quickly followed, struggling a little more than him and the toad.

"Where exactly is here?" Rayla grunted, almost bumping into the prince when he suddenly stopped.

He turned towards her... and shushed her. Before she could irritably protest back, he answered with the same hushed-whisper, "We're at the bakery. And they can't know we're here!"

Rayla only rolled her eyes but stayed quiet as he carefully pushed aside the metal bars before crawling out. Rayla got out after him and studied the warm room of the bakery; it was relatively empty but their were freshly baked, jelly-filled pastries on the table.

Ezran was already rushing towards the table, rubbing his hands before sticking one of it in his mouth, "Mmmm! Come on, Rayla. You gotta try some!"

Rayla eyed the pastry, watching as Bait's long tongue flickered out and pulled in a pastry, "So, these are the best snacks of Katolis?"

The young prince enthusiastically nodded.

She once again eyed the jelly tarts, wondering if she should. When she glanced back at the boy, she immediately regretted it.

"No- come on, don't give me that look..." her voice trailed off as she softened at the look he gave her. _Who in their right mind would say no to those baby seal eyes?_ That just wasn't fair! "Ugh fine! I'll take a stupid jelly tart-"

"...batch of jelly tarts ready for dinner?" Came a muffled voice, coming from outside and increasing in volume.

"Oh no," Ezran froze, panic in her eyes. He then began grabbing as many jelly tarts as his small hands could carry.

A new, gruff voice, answered, much louder than the first, "Why I've prepared just enough for the party!"

Thanks to years of training, Rayla was already assessing the situation at hand. Thinking fast, Rayla decided to just take the whole tray before swiftly rushing back into the hole, aggressively gesturing for the stumbling young prince to follow.

"I'll go grab them right now," the door flew wide open as Ezran slid in, tossing the rest of the jelly tarts in the tray before closing the metal bars shut as soon as Bait slid through. The silence was thick as they tried to calm their breaths until an outrage cry broke out, "What in Phineas' name-"

Deciding that now was the best time to go, they hurried back to where they came from, stifling their laughs as they distanced themselves from the baker's wrath.

* * *

"So?" Ezran prodded, looking at her eagerly.

The jelly tart was a nice blend of bread and jelly (hence the name). It was a snack she could take from time to time but she could definitely find herself getting tired of it after the third take.

"It's not bad," Rayla answered and it was true. She liked it, just not all the time.

The young prince beamed before taking another piece-- his third? fourth?-- while the small toad-like companion chewed on his own. They were still in the tunnels, having found a pretty spacey spot to settle down and eat some snacks. Partly because Ezran wanted to eat the jelly tart "while it was still warm" and partly because they need to "erase the evidence". And Rayla was completely fine with that.

"How are you liking Katolis so far?"

Rayla looked at her half-finished jelly tart before shrugging, "Not gonna lie, the welcome treatment could use a tad more work."

Ezran furrowed his eyebrows as if thinking about it, "I think... if the people knew how fun you actually are, they'll like you just fine. I mean, I think you're cool!"

"Are you sure that's not the jelly tarts talking?" She teased.

"Eh, I mean..." he only feigned a shrug. Rayla let out a small chuckle and the boy joined her.

Rayla decided that this prince wasn't so bad. She was once again struck by just how easy and normal this was. Who knew she'd be stealing jelly tarts with a human-- much less a human prince? It'd been easy to forget the title, to forget the history, and see a kid who committed acts of mischief as would any young elf back at home. Heck, Rayla herself did such things (she still did).

"Thanks for joining me though," the young prince said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between the two, unlikely 'partners-in-crime', "I don't really have that many friends, besides Callum. There aren't that many kids here and everyone else is pretty much older than me so it's kinda..." He seemed to hesitate on his words as he reached over to affectionately scratch the top of Bait's head, "...hard to fit in sometimes. I guess."

Rayla found herself softening over the young human. And perhaps it was because she could relate to a point. She did mention that she hadn't had many friends before, right? _Who would want to be friends with the daughter of traitors anyway?_ "Eh, so what? Fittin' in is boring anyway.”

Ezran looked up, "Really?"

"Uh, yeah!" Rayla scoffed, "Anyone who'd refuse sneaking through secret tunnels and stealing jelly tarts are seriously missing out."

A small smile appeared on his face, "Speaking from experience?"

"Maybe so," she made an act of looking around to see if anyone would listen before she lowered her voice, "Wanna know a secret?"

Ezran scooted closer, nodding eagerly.

She only grinned, "Well, there were some elves back at home who used to make fun of me."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"I mean, it's a story. You mentioned it so now you gotta tell me."

"That's not how it works!"

"Uh, yeah it does-"

"Reasons as to why won't be relevant to the story. Now, can I continue?" Ezran pouted but nodded anyway and Rayla went on, "Anyways, it got to the point where I was really annoyed. So you know what I did?"

"What did you do?" Ezran let out a laugh.

Rayla, despite feeling a little sorry about it afterwards, still found herself smiling at the memory, "Let's just say that there was this ball they liked to kick around. So when no one was looking, I replaced it with a heavy rock, put a small, simple illusion spell on it, and hid behind a tree. I waited till they saw the illusion ball, and as expected... well, let's say one of them broke a toe back then."

His jaw dropped, "No way."

Rayla shrugged, "Haven't regretted a single moment."

The young prince let out an astonished laugh.

She remembered when she'd told Runaan and Tinker. The latter of the two simply couldn't stop laughing, partly because it had been Runaan who had shown her that small illusion rune (that she found pretty hard to maintain, so it didn't really last long). He'd been lenient when scolding her anyway; she had a feeling that he didn't like those elves either.

"Hey Rayla?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're cool."

Rayla grinned before playfully bumping the young boy's shoulder, "Well, I think you're pretty fun, your highness."

Ezran smiled back, full of honest warmth and sincerity, "You can call me Ezran. You can drop the titles when no one else is around."

"Well, as long as you don't call me 'lady' or 'princess' in return," the elf replied but her smile was genuine, "Thank you, Ezran."

"I mean it though. If anyone's giving you trouble around here, come find me," Ezran feigned a 'tough' look on his face, "Then, they'll have to answer to Prince Ezran."

Rayla could take care of herself just fine but the gesture was very much appreciated. She decided that, that deal was going to go both ways.

Who knew she'd be planning heists with the young prince, hiding out in secret tunnels and eating jelly tarts together with his grumpy toad? Heck, she found herself slowly growing protective over the boy herself. How could anyone even think of hurting him?

It did still slightly bothered her that this was the younger brother of her soon-to-be husband but right now, it was much easier to see a kid who reminded her of herself.

She supposed she could more than tolerate the young prince

"Oh, do you want more jelly tarts?"

"Er, I think I'm good."

Even if she had to deal with doing jelly tart heists and hanging out with a grumpy frog.

At least there was one human she didn't need to add to the 'list-of-terrible-humans-she-can't-trust'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the safe haven of fanfiction!   
So! How ya'll doing today TDP peeps?
> 
> Anyways, where do ya'll think Viren's trying to get at? And how about that jelly tart heist with Ez XD
> 
> Also, um, what do ya'll exactly do on twitter except for skimming through some funny tweets? Cuz all I've been doing is retweeting stuff but eh
> 
> To those reading this fic, I genuinely am grateful for you taking the time to comment and to the silent readers, thank you for clicking in!


	7. Playing With Pawns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anything, this treaty of peace was more so a corner they were being backed into. Getting an elf into a position of power and influence from a human kingdom and now, limiting their power through the means of restricting dark magic?

**\--Callum--**

After the announcement yesterday (and his blunder with Rayla), Ezran had been kind enough to ask if he was okay or needed anything. When Callum asked for some space, his young brother granted it to him, smiling at him encouragingly before he left to possibly steal jelly tarts again (he knew this because he had to kindly turn down Ezran's offer of doing a jelly tart heist with him and Bait).

But Callum should've known that Soren would never let this go.

"So the step-prince is stepping into an arranged married," unfortunately, he only realized that when he reached the courtyard. It was the morning after and, as usual, Soren, the captain of the Crowngaurd, was already there, his usual grin (that Callum found annoying at times) on his mouth, "Get it? 'Cause it's like-

"A play on words? Yeah, definitely."

"Genius, wasn't it?" The prince gave up trying to formulate a response as Soren went on, "Well, congratulations! Think you could handle it, though?"

"If she's anything like you, maybe not," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

Callum quickly cleared his throat, "I could definitely handle sword-fighting, yes. That is, uh, that is why I'm here."

The Captain of the Crownguard only looked at him suspiciously but decided to let it go, "Yeah, totally. Swordfighting is something you should be able to handle-" he tossed him a wooden sword that Callum, though a it clumsily, managed to catch, "-especially more than ever now that we've got a Moonshadow around."He felt a prickle of unease, his grip on the sword tightening uncertainly, "What do you mean?"

Soren only scoffed as he unsheathed his own sword, poking the air like there was some sort of invisible enemy there. "To simply put? They're the worst of their kind," the words slipped out easily as if he'd been asked what he had for breakfast, "They used to suck it out of you but now they carry vials filled with human blood. And they turn invisible at the night of the full moon. Silent killers, great as assassins. Sound familiar?"

_Familiar? Hadn't it been during a full moon, that night three years ago? When elves planned to assassinate King Harrow, his step-father?_ He clenched his fists tight, gritting his teeth. Too soon. It was too soon-

"I think you're more scared of elves then you let on," they both turned to find Claudia approaching, her arms crossed. She then gave Callum a smile that was meant to comfort him, "Don't mind him. He'd believe anything they say in camp."

Soren glared at her, "I do not-"

"Pfft. Right," Claudia huffed out a laugh, "'cause you weren't ranting to me in the middle of the night with 'Oh Claudia, did you know they transmit a disease called Moonshadow madness?' and 'they suck blood, Clauds! They suck blood!' and 'Claudia? Where's Foo Foo Cuddlypoo'-"

"I HAVE NO idea what you're talking about," Soren immediately cut off, forcing out a laugh.

"Do you want a reminder?" Claudia asked, feigning a tone of innocence, "I mean, I could go look for your stuff saber-toothed moose lion if you wa-"

"Oh! Would you look at that! Sword-fighting ended early, you're dismissed," Soren was now sending Claudia death-glares as he began scuttling away, "And, just to be clear, I do not have any stuffed animals in my room. At all."

They watched until the Captain of the Crownguard finally disappeared around the corner.

Claudia turned to Callum, "Missing sword-fighting twice in a row? That's a new record!"

"I've got you to thank for that," Callum said, letting out a shaky laugh.

Silence immediately filled the air between them, a question lingering in the air. He knew she was going to mention it and she did exactly just that.

"So, heard you're getting married! As soon as everyone else did..." her voice trailed off to an awkward chuckle, but she seemed to be avoiding his gaze, "So, uh, how are you feeling?"

"Great," he cleared his throat when it came out as a squeak, "I mean, as great as the next person looped in an arranged marriage, I guess."

Out of all the people, Claudia was the last person he wanted to be having this conversation with. It only stuck out as a painful reminder of the choice he no longer had.

"Hey, Callum?" But when he looked up, there was only kind sympathy in her eyes, "You can talk to me if you want. You know that, right?"

He must've imagined it but he thought there was a lingering sadness in her eyes as well.

He only smiled back, as pained as it may seem, "Yeah, I know."

* * *

"I know it must be tiring to discuss weighty matters at the start of the day," King Harrow was met with a small murmur of response before he continued, "but our time is limited and our elven guests do plan to travel to Duren this afternoon."

Everyone was yet again, gathered around the dining table during breakfast for (hopefully) one last diplomatic meeting. Unfortunately for Callum, (and perhaps Rayla), there was one last topic that was yet to be discussed.

"Fortunately for us, we only have one last topic to discuss," King Harrow clasped his hands and Callum felt like shrinking as all eyes swiveled towards him. Across from him, Rayla looked just as uncomfortable.

"This'll be interesting," Callum thought he heard Shaw, the Earthblood elf, mumble under his breath.

Fortunately for them, they didn't need to talk much... unless you took in account how they were barely given any word in planning for THEIR OWN marriage. But whatever, right? It's not like he was the king or anything.

"I can assure that Lady Rayla will be under the protection of the Katolian Crownguard at all times."

"I will provide a lesson plan for the lady," Opeli volunteered.

_("May I ask about Rayla's lineage?" "I believe that inquiry is unnecessary in this conversation. King Azymondias chose her and there's nothing more to it." Well that was immediately shut down.)_

"Yes, she will be safe with Prince Callum." _("I think I'm more worried for the prince..." "Shaw?" "Sorry, sorry.")_

"Lady Rayla, do you have any allergies? Food? Dust?" _("Uh...")_

"We will make adjustments to what is culturally appropriate, of course."

_("Will they share a room?" "Shaw." "Kidding, kidding...")_

"Yes, the other monarchs are aware of an arranged marriage between Xadia and Katolis. They have all agreed to the eventual invitation for the event."

"King Azymondias will be present for the wedding as well."

_("Can I plan the wedding?" "Are you kidding me, Shaw?")_

"Speaking of the wedding, when do we plan for it to happen?"

"I think it should be sometime next year," one of the Katolian court members suggested, "Plenty of time for the people to get adjusted."

"What do you two think?" Everyone's gaze swiveled towards them, not for the first time.

They both looked at the congregation whose attention they now had before turning to each other for a good two seconds.

"Um..." Callum started.

"Sure," Rayla piped up.

"Sounds great."

"Totally."

"A spring wedding would be perfect!" Shaw exclaimed eagerly, taking the attention off the two, "Two symbols of peace and unity in the season of new beginnings. It basically screams a bright future for the reconciliation of Xadia and the Human Pentarchy!"

"That's the most decent thing you've ever said," the male Skywing elf muttered.

King Harrow nodded thoughtfully, "It would be plenty of time for the people to get adjusted, too. If everything goes well, all things considered." He then raised his voice, quieting down the murmurs, "Are we in agreement for the wedding to be some time in spring?"

There were a few nods as well as the raising of hands in agreement. Some still looked skeptically, possibly from the idea of it all, but no one opposed. Viren himself was silent and his aunt, Amaya, gave nothing away, her expression neutral.

"Then that's decided," Harrow clasped his hands before turning back to the two candidates in question, "You two can decide amongst yourselves when the wedding date will be."

They shared a quick, awkward glance at one another before looking elsewhere. Well that was surely going to be a fun conversation to be looking forward to.

And did King Harrow really have to phrase it that way?

**\--Viren--**

The first of many negotiations between humans and Xadia were finally finished. Viren watched the elves climbing onto their dragons before flying towards Duren to hold similar negotiations about the Treaty of Concordia on the Dragon King's behalf. All except for one certain Moonshadow elf.

"...it really necessary to mention the dumb stuff animal?"

"If it's so dumb, why do you still have your Foo Foo Cuddlypoops in your trunk?"

Viren sighed, his momentary peace disrupted as he heard the door swing open.

"It was a gift!" The dark mage turned to find his two children in another bicker-fest. He wasn't all too surprised nor impressed.

"One you've hugged during thunderstorms-"

"I was 8, Clauds," Soren snapped before taking notice that their father had been staring at them disapprovingly this whole time, "Oh, father!"

"You wanted to see us?" Claudia added, dropping the subject of their argument behind them.

"Ah... yes," Viren sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This was not easy. Now, how exactly was he to tell his children this?

In his silence, the siblings exchanged a glance before Claudia asked. "So how'd the meeting go? Did they, you know-" she made a gesture where she sliced her finger across her throat, accompanied by a weird noise, "-the Dark Magic thing?"

"Dark Magic has not been banned," Viren simply answered, "but Harrow's proposed alternatives would only restrict us from getting... anywhere."

"What do you mean?" She asked while Soren looked on, not exactly a dark magic enthusiast but curious all the same.

"Well, for one you'll now need a permit, granted by your local king, to even do dark magic," he replied, trying to keep off the annoyance in his tone, "With an age limit and two years of training at the least."

"What?" His daughter exclaimed.

"There'll also be limitations on the certain species of animals we can use as well as a permanent restriction of using anything that is a part of elf, dragon, or any other rare creature of Xadia they've specified."

"Can we use a Griffin's eye?"

"They are too sacred for Sunfire elves. So, no."

"What about a broken horn from a deceased elf?"

"No."

"What if we so happen to just stumble upon a discarded dragon horn?"

Viren shook his head.

"Not even a dragon snot?" He was blinking at this point, "Like, just a tiny drop? It's not like we're killing-"

"No, we cannot."

"But those are worth incredibly power spells!" Claudia protested, her arms violently flying around.

Soren, who'd been trying to duck around his sister's swinging arms, finally spoke up, "Uh, not really the biggest fan of gross animal body parts that aren't where they should be but... wouldn't that mean if, hypothetically, another war were to break out, humans would be at a very serious disadvantage?"

Viren sighed, "And that is exactly what I can't seem to get through him."

The room grew silent as the dark mage once again turned his gaze back towards the window where he could make out just the tiny silhouette's of three dragons in the far distance.

Viren simply just... didn't understand. Since the war had ended, Harrow spoke not a word about what had happened in that room, what had exactly been discussed 6 months ago. That was until just a week ago when Harrow summoned the Royal Council for a meeting. It was only then did they find out about what was said in the Treaty of Concordia, what was proposed and what was already decided.

King Azymondias called for the war to stop but Harrow couldn't seriously be naive to think another battle like this won't happen between humans and elves, if the reaction to the announcement of the arranged marriage should be anything to go by. An elf— a Moonshadow elf— to be living in Katolis as the first elven princess of a human kingdom, acting as a symbol of uniting the two sides that have hated each other for centuries, was sure to get a more violent reaction due to the still high tensions and prolonged grudges from both sides.

If anything, this treaty of peace was more so a corner they were being backed into. Getting an elf into a position of power and influence from a human kingdom and now, limiting their power through the means of restricting dark magic?

"Dad?" The sound of Claudia's voice pulled him out of his troubled thoughts, "Is there anything we can do?"

Viren hesitated slightly before speaking, "Times are changing and we are entering a new era. King Harrow's intentions for peace is in the right place, albeit with some... flaws."

The Moonshadow elf was a whole other problem in itself. The dark mage himself was no fan of their kind; it was their kind that had almost fulfilled in their mission to assassinate his close friend three years ago.

He turned around to face his children, his gaze flitting towards Soren. His son would've been a casualty that night if he hadn't stepped in.

Viren straightened up, his earlier intentions for calling them, coming back to him, "We must stay vigilant, now more than ever, if we are to help the king. An enemy lingers among us, one we know almost nothing about."

A question. The same question that had been running through his mind ever since he'd been introduced to the elven candidate for this arranged 'trap'.

"Keep an eye on Prince Callum," Viren told them, turning back but this time, he wasn't looking at the window; he was looking at the long painting on his wall, "And an extra eye on his betrothed."

"You think she's a threat?" Soren asked, "Not that I don't, 'cause it would make sense if she were."

"I've only been thinking of one thing," Viren replied, his gaze burning straight through the painting, "Why her?"

**\--Callum--**

When Callum was summoned (once again) to the dining room before dinner, he was expecting another serious and awkward discussion about "what should be the color theme" or "what napkin-folding style would you prefer" or anything arranged-marriage related. When he opened the door, he was certainly not expecting an almost empty room with a bunch of board games being dumped onto the table by King Harrow himself.

"Uh... what?" Callum asked, watching as Ezran followed, dropping board games of his own.

"Oh, hey Callum," Ezran waved, which caught Harrow's attention.

His stepfather beamed, "Callum! You're just in time!"

"Hi, uh, what's all this?" Callum asked, his face confused, "Are we... eating game pieces for dinner?"

"Oh this," Harrow chuckled before gesturing to the game boards as Callum approached, "With all that's been happening, you and Rayla must be feeling the most overwhelmed right now. So Ezran thought it would be a good idea to spend some time together before dinner."

"By playing board games!" Ezran jumped in enthusiastically, "Just like how we always do it whenever we go to the winter lodge! This way, we could make things more comfortable for her since this will be her home for a long time."

"O-Oh that's- that's very thoughtful, Ezran," Callum said but his tone did not match his words as he looked on with uncertainty. Considering his first conversation with Rayla... well, he wasn't sure board games were going to make her warm up to him any sooner, "But does she even like board games?"

"We won't know until we try," Harrow smiled, confidently.

Callum's gaze flitted towards the board games, his eyes widening, "But-"

"Everything's going to be fine, Callum," the king said, trying to reassure him, "If she doesn't like board games, I'm sure we'll find something else to do."

"Then we better find something else to do," Callum gestured to the board games, his eyes widening in panic, "Because I'm not sure she'll like it."

Harrow and Ezran simultaneously frowned, "Why's that?"

Callum pulled out the box for chess, taking out the two opposing kingdom pieces; one was of a human soldier and the other... an elven warrior. "Uh, 'cause this?!"

"Oh," Ezran drooped, looking guilty, "I didn't mean-"

"I'm sure you didn't mean it, Ez," King Harrow placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We'll just not play chess."

"Um, King Harrow?"

You see, the thing with multiplayer board games, there always seems to be a bad guy in all of this. Chess was out of the question. Risk seemed pretty sensitive to be "taking over territories" at the time (considering it was based on Xadia and the Human Kingdoms). And Monopoly was excluded since they weren't about to risk pulling out a "you've been captured by an elf" or "elves attacked the city and damaged your house in the process" card from the Chance pile. All their strategic board games were based off of battles and wars and, per usual, one side was a depiction of "blood-sucking, vicious, monstrous, elves".

"I'm going to have to get these board games remodeled," Harrow muttered to himself as they rushed to remove the anti-elf board games off the table and sticking them back inside the cupboards. All that was left now were word board games but due to being paranoid at their earlier discovery about the other board games, they ended up discarding them too.

The table was once again empty.

"What now?' Ezran asked, his shoulders drooped.

"Simple, we just spend time during dinner later-" the door opened and Callum's sentence trailed off, "-and nevermind..."

"So, you summoned me, Your Majesty?" Rayla looked more so skeptical, probably expecting another important meeting about her arranged marriage.

"Uh yes," Harrow cleared his throat, trying to appear calm, "Thank you for joining us, lady Rayla." She seemed to wince slightly at that. "Well, I know dinner is still a couple hours away but, uh..." His gaze flitted towards Callum who seemed to be trying to say 'no' through his eyes before turning to Ezran who only looked back. "Ezran has... come up with something to do before that."

All eyes then turned to Ezran who looked surprised at first before turning thoughtful, "Um..." Then his eyes brightened up, "I know! Or, I mean, I've known- beforehand- since I've already come up with it."

Everyone just stared at him.

The young prince beamed, "We’re playing 20 questions!"

King Harrow nodded in agreement, Rayla slightly raised an eyebrow, and Callum had to stifle a groan of annoyance.

Just why?

* * *

The already awkward atmosphere only seemed to amplify over the silence that had taken over the room once they’ve taken their seats. King Harrow was trying to look indifferent though he seemed out of place (considering he's the only adult in the room playing a game), Callum was trying not to shift so much as he stared at a dent on the table and Rayla had her arms crossed, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Here's the first question," Ezran suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone to jolt in their seats. He'd finally picked out a card from the pile full of questions, "Are you an indoor person or an outdoor person?" Ezran read outloud before beaming, "Well, I think I'm more of an outdoor person. Dad?"

"Huh, well I don't go out as much anymore because of my duties but I enjoy going out whenever I get the chance," Harrow chuckled, slightly amused at Ezran's enthusiasm.

There was a pause midway as they both turned to the last two, wondering who would speak next.

Callum decided to take his turn before things dipped back down to awkward (not that this was already not awkward enough), "Um, I like the outdoors. I guess it's... the different views and perspective of things..." He winced at how unsure he sounded. Where was confidence when he needed it?

When all eyes turned to Rayla, she seemed to stifle a sigh before saying, "I guess that makes me the fourth outdoors person here.

It went on a little bit longer with Ezran basically hogging the card pile, giving him full access to all the questions. The awkwardness may have dwindled down slightly but Ezran seemed the only one comfortable. If anything, he might've even looked amused, occasionally shooting Callum a smirk and trying to stifle a laugh at everyone's discomfort. He thought he must've seen Rayla glaring at Ezran a few times, only to receive a grin in return.

And Callum supposed he could understand. Certain times, he wanted to bash Ezran in the back of the head.

"What is your favorite food?"

_"Jelly tarts!" Well, that was pretty much expected._

"How much effort should an individual put into not offending others?"

_"Depends on the individual," was Rayla's simple reply to that._

_Callum may have imagined it but... did she just shoot him a look through narrowed eyes? That... would be considered like a glare, right?_

"Where’s the line between soup and cereal?"

_"Okay... what?"_

"What’s the worst backhanded compliment you could give someone?"

_"Your ears are great," came the elf's blunt reply._

_Yeah, that felt like that had intentionally been at him._

"If you could give everyone just one piece of advice, what would it be?"

_"If you decide to sneak up on a person, maybe don't?"_

_Everyone looked at Callum with confusion except for Rayla. She knew exactly what he was talking about and that's all that mattered._

"What was the best thing that happened to you today?"

_No one really seemed to have an answer to that._

"What do you need help with most often?"

_"Making my own choices," Callum accidentally slipped outloud and Harrow winced._

_Rayla snorted before trying to play it off as a cough while Ezran himself was trying (and failing) to hide the look of shock on his face. It took a few seconds till he finally realized what he'd said._

"If you were in charge of renaming things so that their names would be more accurate, what names would you come up with?"

_"Actually, maybe we should skip this one," Harrow wisely offered._

Callum was pretty sure that Ezran had intentionally been shuffling through his cards and picking the questions himself. The awkwardness was now tinged with a rising tension in the room. If dinner could come any sooner, that would be great!

"Huh, this is interesting," Ezran said, reading the question before grinning as he read it outloud, "What's your most awkwardest moment and describe it in the vaguest way possible?"

"You have a very interesting list of questions, Ez," Callum said, forcing the words through gritted teeth.

"I can start," Rayla volunteered, not as tensed as she'd been in the last few days sitting across from him (yes, Callum was still sitting across from her). Perhaps it was because of the little war they had going. "I was seated at a table with three others."

Harrow and Callum simultaneously shifted on their seats.

"And I've had the most utmost pleasure to be part of the most awkward conversation I've had ever," the Moonshadow elf went on, paying no mind to the aforementioned two who seemed to know where she was going with this.

"What did you guys talk about?" Ezran asked, looking intrigued.

"Eh. Something about a controversial announcement that might potentially backfire," she easily replied, the tip of her lip curving upwards into a small, thinly-concealed smirk, "That's all I can say."

The young prince only gaped and if it were any other situation, Callum might've found it amusing that he hadn't had a clue on what it possibly was, "Wha- but there's gotta be more!"

"It won't be vague if I went on. Besides, it was a pretty important conversation and," she dared let out a sigh, "my lips are sealed for I am honor-bound not to out certain individuals."

Before Ezran could press, the king interrupted, "Ah, Callum! Why don't you go next?"

Callum stiffened from being put on spot. "Uh... weeeeeeeell. Huh. An awkward moment. Mhm, mhm. Yeah I-" The doors opened as servants carrying silver plates walked in, "-think I smell dinner! What a shame, I was actually about to start."

"You could quickly finish up," Ezran suggested as they began setting up the plates.

"That wouldn't be proper etiquette," the older of the brothers insisted, intent on not continuing this game.

"But-"

"Wow! This smells really great!" Callum cut him off, "Doesn't it, King Harrow?"

"U-Uh yes," the king, who'd been opening one of the covers of the dishes (albeit a little greedily), quickly cleared his throat, "Yes, yes. This all looks very good. Thank you." He told the servants before addressing everyone else, clasping his hands with suppressed anticipation, "Well? Let's not waste another minute!"

* * *

Callum had never been relieved when dinner finally finished. He wasn't really looking forward to anymore of these "20 question" game nights, considering how that went. Once the two princes finally reached their joint bedrooms, he went straight to his bed, diving head first into his pillow to muffle his groans.

"You okay, Cal?" Came his brother's concerned tone.

His response was a muffled reply, "Just great."

There was a small silence before Ezran pressed, "You don't like her, don't you?"

"I-" Callum searched for his words before turning on his back so that he was now facing the ceiling. He let out a sigh, "It's just... hard when she doesn't exactly make it so easy."

Ezran looked on, frowning, "Is it because she's an elf?"

"No," the answer came out so quickly that even he found it surprising. No, it wasn't because she was an elf. Callum knew him being a human and her being an elf wasn't going to be easy on how the world would view their union but that wasn't the reason why he didn't like her. "No, it's just... it's hard to like someone when they're doing the exact opposite."

"You think she doesn't like you?"

"I know she doesn't like me," Callum sat up, looking at him to make sure he understood, "And I get it! She's having a rough time, being pulled out of her home into a city that doesn't exactly like her right now, dragged into an arranged marriage for the sake of peace. And it's all out of our power and I get that..." He let out another sigh, "I'd rather have a choice but now that I don't, it wouldn't hurt to make things easier by, I don't know, befriending her? But I... kinda messed it up so now she hates me."

"Woah, hate you? Wait, what'd you do?"

So he told him the infamous tale of their first one-on-one conversation a day ago.

"Your ears are great?" Ezran repeated, causing Callum to groan, "Huh, now her answer made a whole lot more sense-"

"Point is, I screwed myself into this," he cut him off, resuming to burying his head into his pillow.

"Well, have you tried apologizing yet?" Ezran suggested.

"I did mention that she wanted me out of her way, right? So we kinda have a thing where I do just that and she does the same and I don't really want to break that after a day-"

"Callum."

"What?" He exclaimed, "Do you WANT me to get in her way?"

"I think you two need to talk. Properly," Ezran added before he could correct him, "And don't worry, you won't have to get in her way."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll just... do that myself," was Ezran's reply, paired with an innocent smile. Before he could question him further, the little critter disappeared into his room, leaving Callum to drown in his curiosity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE'S TO THE LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE WRITTEN SO FAR!
> 
> Now, I'd like to confirm something about the ages. They are SLIGHTLY AGED UP! Considering this story is an alternative universe in which certain events DIDN'T happen and things happened DIFFERENTLY-  
As mentioned, the assassination happened 3 years ago so in the present, Callum would be 18ish and Rayla is 19ish.
> 
> Speaking of which, this chapter was full of having awkward conversations on dining tables, eh? What do ya'll think Ezran is up to? I've also put in an Easter egg about ATLA in there, anyone found it?
> 
> Anyways, Viren doesn't trust Rayla (clearly) and thinks she might be some sort of ruse. What do ya'll think? Is Azymondias really genuine about peace or is there an ulterior motive to all of this, considering what we know so far?
> 
> Rayla, an assassin formerly assigned to kill King Harrow, personally chosen by Zym with no clear reason, not being born nobility (heck even disliked because she's "a child of traitors") and the elven diplomats quickly shutting down questions about her family-  
:)
> 
> Anyways, it's been December for a while and I'm in a slight Christmas-y spirit! So I propose a deal! That for each comment PER USER, I'll reply with a small line from the next chapter! Have a great week ahead!


	8. A Stumbling Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This ball will be the first OF MANY to have elven guests to attend, the first to hold an interaction between both humans and elves in an event setting, and the first to ease the idea of the new Treaty of Concordia. 
> 
> And given the arrangement, you two will very literally be a symbol of unity between our races. Meaning, many eyes will be on both of you, your interactions, and especially, the dance."

**—Rayla—**

A week later.

Rayla didn’t know why people in Katolis liked to have discussions early in the morning. Maybe it was a human thing.

Either way, she did not like it one bit.

It wasn’t because she had to wake up pretty early in the morning; she wakes up even earlier for her morning “jogs”. No, it was the fact that her usual wind-down time was replaced with lessons about historic battles and the names of royal people and what spoons to use for certain foods and why-

“-do I need to know what an apple tree looks like?” Rayla asked, a mixture of annoyance and confusion.

Her and Opeli— a member of the Katolian court and the human handling her lessons— were currently in the courtyard, standing in front of a big apple tree that overshadowed a stone bench nearby.

Opeli blinked at Rayla’s interruption, “Oh? No, it isn’t required to distinguish different breeds of trees.”

The Moonshadow elf raised an eyebrow, looking at the tree then at her, “Soooo why were you saying how relatively new this tree was?”

“Ah, well because it is. This tree has only been here for the last three hundred years,” before Rayla could say anything about how any of that makes a tree ‘relatively new’, Opeli walked on, “But, that’s not what we’re here for.”

The elf stifled a sigh.

A week had passed by since she first arrived and this new routine of having lessons that started pretty early in the morning was not something she appreciated in the slightest. Her assigned instructor told her that it was to train her "to be ready-minded to tackle the duties of a princess (she shuddered at that) for the day". Opeli wasn't really that bad but... well, it's hard to like teachers in general.

Rayla quickly jogged to catch up with the councilwoman (who moved surprisingly fast), "So what are we here for?"

"Going through the courtyard is quicker to reach the ballroom," was Opeli's response.

"The ballroom?" She repeated as they entered a huge set of open doors that opened up into a huge, spacey room. The ballroom, she presumed.

Rayla had passed by the entrance to the room a few times but she never really found the time to enter and observe the place. Rounded tables and chairs were all pushed to the side and a huge chandelier hung above it all. To the far side was a grand spiral staircase descending from the upper floors of the castle.

"You must be aware that the Autumn Ball is fast approaching," Opeli spoke as she led them to the middle of the room.

"Let me guess. It's an autumn-themed ball," Rayla drawled.

"It's a masquerade ball that's loosely based on All Hallows' Eve," was the councilwoman's reply, straight to the point, "It will be taking place on the 31st so we have at least a month to prepare you for-"

"Woah, woah, wait. Slow down," the Moonshadow elf interrupted, "What in the moons is a Masquerade ball?"

"It's a formal event where participants are required to wear formal attire accompanied by a matching mask."

"A mask?"

"Yes."

Rayla was still confused, "What's the point with the mask?"

"Well, we have this centuries-old human celebration we call Hallows' Eve," at Rayla's blank look, she sighed, "You don't know what that is either, don't you?"

"Oh yeah, no. We elves definitely celebrate these centuries-old human celebrations too," the sarcasm leaked out of her like a... leech, for the lack of a better word.

How Opeli still managed to remain patient was beyond her, "A couple centuries back, the last day of October was a great time of superstition amongst humans. It is believed that terrifying creatures from Xadia would come haunt the human kingdoms so, to make the long story short, people wore costumes to, theoretically, scare them off."

"So if it's centuries-old," Rayla spoke up, a smirk on her lips as she continued her quip, "would that be considered relatively new?"

She only received a blank look before the human went on, "Nowadays, that superstition has died down. The common-folk enjoy the festivities by retaining costume-wearing as a means of enjoyment as well as the exchange of goods and treats."

"Fun."

"It may be fun, yes, but it is also one of the biggest events of the year," Opeli said, her voice turning serious as she fixed her a stern look, "It will be Duren's turn to host the ball so it is of great importance that you know the kingdom's customs by then."

"Got it." Rayla thought it made sense. Not all humans must be the same if they came from different kingdoms, as well as not all elves have the same primal energy. "Anything else?"

"We'll be going through Duren's customs tomorrow," Opeli informed, "but for now, we're just waiting for your dance partner."

A few seconds of processing and reprocessing led to her freezing entirely, "Wait, what?"

As if on cue, the doors to the ballroom opened to reveal a familiar mop of brown hair, clad in red and blue, with the face of the one person she'd been avoiding all week.

**\--Callum--**

When Soren told him that he'd be missing sword-fighting due to Opeli summoning him to the ballroom, he'd been celebrating how he was, once again, skipping another morning of those dreadful lessons.

All of that almost flew out the window when Callum entered the huge ballroom to find not just Opeli, but Rayla waiting for him.

Don't get him wrong, the prince had been trying.

He'd genuinely been trying to attempt Ezran's advice on apologizing to the Moonshadow Elf but he couldn't seem to find the right time and when it was the right time, he couldn't find her anywhere. The few times they've been in a room together for more than 20 minutes was during dinner and, well, we already know how awkward dinners are.

(Fortunately for them, Ezran never brought up 20 questions again.)

So imagine being in a room with Opeli AND Rayla for what may suspiciously be like a lesson...

"Ah, Prince Callum," Opeli greeted, "You're just in time."

Noticing that he'd come to a stop, he willed his legs to move towards them while debating whether sword-fighting was worth bearing through then... whatever they were to do here.

As he neared, he shot a quick glance at Rayla who seems to have taken an interest on the huge chandelier that loomed above them. Remembering their last encounter, Callum sucked in a breath before exhaling, pushing his contemplating to the back of his mind and hoping to attempt talking BETTER to avoid upsetting the elf again.

"Uh, good morning Opeli. And Rayla," he swallowed when her eyes met his for a slight second, recognizing his acknowledgement, before he continued, "I'm in time for... what exactly?"

"To rehearse the dance for the Autumn Ball," the councilwoman answered (and Callum began to sweat nervously), "Duren will be hosting this year and you two will be partners, obviously. So it is important that we begin practice now."

"Oh. Right." Would it be too much to hope that the Moonshadow elf would pardon him for the many times he will eventually be stepping on her foot and accept the apology he had yet to find time to give?

"Now I cannot stress any further how extremely important this is," Opeli emphasized, looking at them with a serious look, "This ball will be the first OF MANY to have elven guests to attend, the first to hold an interaction between both humans and elves in an event setting, and the first to ease the idea of the new Treaty of Concordia. And given the arrangement, you two will very literally be a symbol of unity between our races. Meaning, many eyes will be on both of you, your interactions, and especially, the dance."

Callum took it back. He would much rather have sword-fighting lessons right now.

"That's reassuring," he heard Rayla mutter sarcastically.

Just then, two more people walked in (completely new faces to Callum) and headed towards them.

"I've invited some dancers in Duren to help demonstrate," Opeli explained as they took a bow.

Like he needed any more reason to not mess this up.

* * *

He was pretty sure he was messing this up.

Well, for the record, he managed to do the first few things correctly. After some hesitation on both sides, Callum had been able to recall something from the few ballroom dance lessons he'd had; he correctly placed one hand on her hip and the other taking her free hand that hadn't rested on his shoulder.

And sure, it was awkward considering this was the closest they'd ever been near each other but no one had... died yet so he took it as a good sign.

But... that had been the easy part.

"Ow!"

"Sorry!"

"I swear to Garlath, if you-"

"And spin!" Came Opeli's instruction.

Callum blanked out and as a result, probably messed up his footing since he tripped on his own legs, causing Rayla (who'd been attached to him since they'd started) to try to balance them out and ending up stepping on his foot this time.

"Ow.."

"Ugh!"

"Okay, I think it's best to take a break," the councilwoman suggested and the two immediately broke apart from each other, making quick time to put distance in between. At this, Opeli sighed before gesturing to the dancers (who'd silently been watching from the side) to come towards her, "Perhaps we should've watched a demonstration first before moving to the practical element of it."

Wow, 10 minutes in and they couldn't even get basic waltzing down. What more until the more slightly complicated variation of the dance they were to perform and join in Duren?

The two shuffled to the side with Opeli as the dancers took the floor. Then... they moved as one, smoothly sliding into position with little effort before fluidly taking off into moving grace. It wasn't that Callum was surprised that they were both extremely good (he'd had assumed they had to be good if they were here to demonstrate) but the fact that... they moved as one.

Like they didn't even need to stop or think on their next step because they knew where they'd take it together.

Callum winced, reflecting back on his and Rayla’s... "stumble" (what they attempted couldn't even come remotely close to a dance). It had already been awkward enough trying to avoid eye contact as well as keeping any sort of space between them despite quite literally being attached to each other.

That and that he SUCKED at dancing and he's never felt so embarrassed and guilty for Rayla having to suffer through being his partner.

Sucking up all the humility from his poorly bruised ego, he shifted a little closer to the elf before muttering a small, "Sorry..."

The Moonshadow seemed to jump slightly at being addressed but quickly recovered as her eyes narrowed, "You've been saying that a lot."

"Well- I- yeah," Callum winced at her sharp look (the phrase "glaring daggers" had never rang through till now), "I guess I'm sorry about that too. Stepping on your foot, I mean."

"You guess?"

"No, I am! Very sorry for stepping on your foot. Truly. Since I stepped on them like... 4 or 5-"

"8."

"8... Um, yeah. 8 seems more accurate- But I'm also sorry for last week. I didn't mean to offend your or anything." At her questioning glance, he elaborated, "You know... with the, um, hallway incident and the backhanded compliment that was never supposed to be meant as an insult..."

And the sharp look had intensified into a glare.

"_Point is_, I'm really sorry for acting like an idiot and I hope we can start over again...?" The last bit came out like a question, trailing off as her glare didn't seem to cease.

Her purple eyes were clearly glaring but Callum thought there was a sort of scrutinizing look to it. Possibly trying to figure him out if he was being serious right now.

Then her gaze went cold and she turned away. He didn't know what stung, more, her turning away or the taut answer that came right after, "How about, no."

That last bit, despite structured as one, was not a question.

Not long after, Callum turned just in time to find the dancers coming to a slow twirl. There was a slight pause of movements, a moment of eye contact, before they performed a slow and elegant dip that nearly touched the floor. They were absolutely balanced with the support of one's hand; a show of trust that one would never let go.

"The dip is entirely optional, of course," Opeli was quick to address after giving the dancers a quick praise and thanks, "but that is the first dance that is expected to be done at the ball. Any questions?"

"Yes, actually, may I be excused to the bathroom?" Rayla quickly spoke up.

The councilwoman frowned but then nodded, "Well, it's almost lunch, anyway. We'll continue again tomorrow."

Without another word, they both took the opportunity to get out of there as quick as possible.

Things couldn’t possibly get any more difficult.

**—Ezran—**

Ezran walked through the familiar hallways of the castle, eyeing the walls that lay hidden the maze of tunnels within. Passing by guards and castle-goers while giving them cheery smiles, he didn't stop walking. Usually, he would probably be sneaking through the tunnels and looking for new paths, sneaking into the bakery for a jelly tart, or spying on people for fun but toady, he had a set goal in mind.

It had been almost a week since Rayla first arrived and he'd found out that she would, technically, be his sister-in-law at some point.

Was he okay with that? Seeing as his brother wasn't coping well with the idea, it had definitely been something Ezran hadn't been cool with. He knew Callum didn't like it one bit and he had a pretty good idea as to why. For one, Ezran may not exactly know the full extent of Callum's feelings for Claudia but he knew that his brother had taken a liking to the dark mage's daughter; he'd seen the way he looked at her, the drawings he'd taken extra attention to doing, the way he talked to her. Now imagine those chances being taken away because of a treaty that his own father had signed.

_Stepfather_, Ezran thought, reluctantly in his mind, knowing that he would correct him on that.

He'd never seen Callum ever refer to him as just 'father' or 'dad' and he knew, though they were close to an extent, there'd been a sort of... struggle; too many forced formalities, too many hesitations and uncertainties, too many doubts and stopping just before meeting halfway. Ezran had grown up to it and hadn't thought much about it until he'd taken a closer look at it as he grew older. Perhaps it was harder because they weren't related by blood. Maybe it got worse when their mother died. He wouldn't know; Queen Sarai had died when he could barely stand on his own.

But back to the question in mind, _did Ezran like Rayla?_ The answer was easy; he did.

To be fair, he resulted to not liking her at first. After all, she was the one to basically "take away" his brother's freedom to marry anyone else. But it was because of that thinking that changed Ezran's mind.

_What if she never had that choice either? Just like his brother._

Ezran observed from afar, seeing the elf's apprehension, tense in a place so foreign. It would make sense to feel uncomfortable, far away from home and moving into a place that would be her new "home".

_She must be feeling so out of place right now_, Ezran had thought.

Any lingering dislike towards her because of an arranged marriage, flew out the window when he finally took the chance to get to know her. It hadn't been a hard criteria to follow; If she could tolerate doing something as sneaking into a bakery and stealing some jelly tarts with the young prince and a glow toad, they could definitely pass as acquaintances at the very least.

Instead, she did one better and offered advice that he took straight to heart.

_"Eh, so what? Fittin' in is boring anyway.”_

She related, she cared, she felt for him as a person and not as a being completely different from hers. They gave each other a chance and saw themselves. And Ezran had thought of elves differently since then.

Ezran turned to the familiar hallways leading to the dining room and grinning lightly to a guard that had been posted at the door. He knew the Crownguard personally; let's just say that he'd saved their lives three years ago on that one fateful night, "Hey Marcos!"

The Crownguard, Marcos, straightened up and gave him a bow of acknowledgement though there was a kind smile to his face, "Prince Ezran. Is there something you need?"

Ezran knew that he could never-- and would never-- force Rayla and his brother to like an arranged marriage that had limited the extent of their freedom. But perhaps things could just be a little easier, a little less of dislike, a little less of prejudice, if they did the same thing; gave each other a chance to see they were both people.

With a knowing glint in the young prince's eyes, he nodded, "Actually, I'm looking for somebody."

It was time.

**\--Callum--**

Callum was glad that he was officially done for today. That morning was... well, "bad" was putting it lightly. The afternoon was spent having horseback-riding lessons with Crownguard Marcos. Either the horse was just bent on disobeying him or he was doing something wrong with the reigns but that left him with a few more bruises and a sore body. Perhaps he should be thankful that Marcos had been more patient with him than Soren would've been.

Dinner was slightly less... awkward than usual. Rayla had turned in early and Harrow had to pass due to a meeting so it had just been the two princes.

"Fun day?" Ezran asked him before stuffing a jelly tart into his mouth.

Callum sighed, "More so tiring."

"Huh. I heard that you had dance lessons with Rayla," his little brother casually brought up, which almost made him choke on his food, "Did that had something to do with it?"

The elder brother sighed again, not even attempting to hide it, before giving him a look, "What do you think?"

"I think that it sounded like a great opportunity for bonding," Ezran answered, ever optimistic.

Callum winced, thinking back on all the times he stepped on her feet, "Well, I think me and you have different definitions for bonding."

Ezran frowned slightly, "It couldn't have been that bad."

The older of the brothers only chuckled before pointing his fork at him, "Yeah? Well try having dance lessons with someone you're forced to be partnered up with."

If the two hired dancers in the ballroom taught him anything, it was that experience wasn't the only thing that kept them in sync and in graceful motion. The trust and chemistry was all there (something they clearly lacked).

"Well," Ezran seemed to think about it, "Maybe game nights and dance lessons isn't both your, um, bonding... activity?"

"Pfft, yeah. We'd probably 'bond' better if we're in a life and death situation facing monsters or something." Callum had purely been joking, taking none of what he said seriously. He doubt he and Rayla shared any common activities that could be considered 'bonding'.

He didn't notice Ezran smiling to himself, eyes glittering with a hint of mischief, "Maybe it might happen. It IS October."

"If luck would have it, we'd end up stuck in a room late at night, trying to fight our way out against a terrifying creature that came to haunt us from Xadia," Callum chuckled, tone laced with sarcasm.

"Well, terrifying creatures from Xadia DO exist," Ezran pointed out.

He scoffed, "Come on, Ez. None of that has happened for centuries."

"What about the sightings at that one town near Mount Caldera?"

"They're clearly myths."

"If you say so," was the young prince's only reply, shrugging as he stuffed himself with more jelly tarts.

And that was the end of that conversation.

* * *

After dinner, Callum opted to walk around the castle grounds for a bit and try to "clear his stomach" and Ezran had been more-than-willing to bid him an early good night, retiring to their conjoined rooms. Though his reasons for doing so wasn't just to clear his stomach, but as well as his mind (something that usually backfired on him, considering his tendency to overthink).

Callum sighed as he leaned against the battlements of the castle, staring up at the skies. Though the moon wasn't as bright, it seemed as if it was well on its way towards a full moon again. Who knew it could also bring his thoughts to a certain Moonshadow elf that currently hated his guts?

If you asked Callum what he thought about the whole thing with the arranged marriage, there wasn't exactly... one quick answer.

When Harrow broke the news, he'd been in a complete state of mind that felt numb. He knew deep down that he didn't want to do this but the fact that _it didn't matter_ just drained any willingness for defiance. Those first few days have been spent with him moping around the castle, thinking and overthinking about the 'what ifs' and the 'why mes' and if he had a choice before or if he ever did at all.

But that's the thing, wasn't it? It didn't matter now. He just had to accept it because he had no other choice.

Like he had to accept... everything else. Because he had to. He was _meant_ to.

So maybe Callum thought to himself that if he accepted it, things would eventually get better as it had before. If he kept an open-mind, played his part in his new role as a 'symbol of peace' for a healing world, things would change; he wouldn't have to stay up late, worrying who he'd lose next.

Sure, there was the fact that he was also marrying an elf who he knows nothing about... and, he'll admit, he may have been avoiding her the first few days since she's arrived but ONLY because he didn't want to mess it up by starting on the wrong foot. With the war only ending recently, he knew there was a lot at stake and first impressions can really make or break a relationship.

...he messed it up anyway.

And Callum was genuinely beating himself up over this. It didn't help that the days that followed only made things worse between them, what with her hidden jabs during that disastrous game night and the pain of that morning's "no".

But... was it _all_ his fault?

At least Callum had tried. It wasn't like he meant to offend her or step on her foot. He'd made the effort to apologize anyway, made the effort to understand what she might be feeling despite his own suffering, always trying to offer an opening to make this easier for the both of them.

But Rayla wanted _nothing_ to do with that, constantly finding things to dislike, finding reasons to hate, finding reasons to distance herself. He couldn't blame her for hating it here but she had been nothing but closed off. So why should it be all his fault?

_Why should he beat himself up over trying to build a bridge between them when she didn't even want to?_

When Callum finally returned to his room, he was about to make his way towards his bed as usual but stopped when his gaze landed on his trunk nearby. He glanced at the door to the room where his brother slept, finding it almost closed; at any other time, this would be abnormal considering that the door closed when one was upset with each other but because it wasn't fully closed, he didn't think much of it.

Instead, the step-prince took the opportunity to approach his trunk, hands hesitating at the lock; there hadn't been a lock on that thing three years ago. He had the key to it though, kept inside a paper-crafted pocket in one of the pages of his sketchbook. After another glance at the door, he began to flip open his sketchbook when-

_THUMP!_

He jumped, eyes flickering to the now-closed door that led towards Ezran's room, hearing the clicking sounds of it locking.

Callum snapped his book shut, eyes wide and staring, heart beating so fast as he stared at the door, processing what had just happened.

"Ezran?" No response. He slowly got up from the floor, making his way closer to the door, "Ez, what's wrong?"

He tried to recall any conversation that he had with him, any reason as to what could've possibly made Ezran upset with him but nothing came up. They were fine when they were talking to each other earlier during dinner. Either the boy was playing a prank with him or he was actually pretty upset and that he'd been masking it well (which he doubt since the boy was an open book).

Callum tried the knob but it was, in fact, locked. He frowned, knocking as he spoke more sterner, "Ez, this isn't funny."

Then he heard something tumble to the floor on the other side and then there was silence. A chill went down his spine; something was terribly wrong. _What do I do? What do I do?_

"Ez? Ezran!"

He was expecting a scream, footsteps, anything at all! What he heard was worse.

Silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! Yes, it's been a week late of update but this chapter had been slightly harder to end.  
In fact, this chapter was actually supposed to end DIFFERENTLY but, instead, I decided to end it on Callum's POV and moved my original ending to the next chapter because it was getting too long XD
> 
> So, if you've noticed that some quotes are missing from the sneak-peeks I provided in the comments, then it's probably because it's on the next chapter XD So, uh, I guess you had sneak-peeks from BOTH chapters! I swear, that next chapter will be coming up shortly after this one!
> 
> Anyways, speaking of POVs, we got a little more insight of what Ezran thinks of this whole thing! He also mentioned something about Marcos saving their lives three years ago... hmmm, what was it that happened three years ago again?
> 
> So, how you guys feeling about a super late Halloween Rayllum for Christmas? XD These two are definitely going to have to dance at that ball which means... more "dance lessons". Also, what's this thing about terrifying creatures from Xadia at the night of Hallows Eve?
> 
> Anyways, we also got a bit of Callum's POV. A lil different from the Callum who said "destiny is a book you write yourself"... or is it?
> 
> Anyways, considering the cliffhanger I left this at and the missing sneak-peek lines from the comments on the previous chapter, what do you think is gonna happen next?


	9. Let's Make a Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe a hug for good measure?"
> 
> "Nope."
> 
> "Not happening."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have any of you ever enjoyed a winter break only to be tossed head-first back into school with Finals Week looming in the corner so you had to force your brain to remember every single thing you've started to forget before the winter break?
> 
> yeah :)
> 
> I've just got one more thing to say;  
compared to other chaps, this chapter has... quite a lot more Rayllum :) whether that's a good thing... i'll let you decide XD

**\--Rayla--**

It had been sometime late at night when the Moonshadow elf was finally dismissed from her lessons with Opeli. After the disastrous dance lesson, the councilwoman must've taken pity because they moved on with kingdom politics.

Rayla was now in her assigned room, halfway through her letter to Runaan (and a P.S. to Tinker) when Ezran barged into the door.

"Rayla! I need your help!"

She'd immediately leapt off her chair, almost whipping out her dual blades, "What's wrong?"

"There's someone in my room and I don't know who it is," the young boy's eyes were wide, perhaps frightened, "and Callum is still in there!"

Rayla had half a mind to suggest just leaving him there, locking the door, and calling for the guards but that would be too mean. Besides, she doubt Ezran would like the idea one bit, considering they were brothers.

"Aren't there supposed to be guards around?" Rayla hissed as she went pass him and out into the hallway.

"They haven't gotten to our rooms yet," Ezran explained, hurrying after her before taking the lead, "And you're the closest other person."

At this, Rayla felt confused, "I am?"

Her question was answered when they literally stopped at the next closest door down the hallway and Ezran turned to her nodding, "Yeah, you are."

She paused before shoving that information to the back of her head. She was going to deal with that later and she will handle it with absolute calm (or try to).

Motioning for Ezran to stay quiet, Rayla crept forward, slowly opening the door and peeking through the small opening. Almost immediately, a shadowed figure emerged, seemingly pacing back and forth in the middle of the room with clear agitation in their movements. She could not detect a second figure that indicated whether the other prince was in the room or not, which was slightly worrying.

Rayla stepped back before meeting Ezran's gaze with a stern look, "Go and find the nearest guards. I'll try to hold them off."

Ezran didn't move, crossing his arms, "And?"

"And find your brother," Rayla sighed with exasperation.

"Will you though?"

"Okay, I don't hate him that much to let him die!" She exclaimed in defense, slightly offended... even if she had considered it but that's not the point!

The young prince only grinned, "Just making sure-"

"Go!"

Ezran needed no more promptings as he bolted around the corner to do as he was told. Rayla sighed before allowing herself to whip out her dual blades; she knew it was going to prove handy at some point... not that she was anticipating killing anyone with it.

She tensed, sucking up a breath.

3...

2...

She slammed into the door and immediately leaped straight towards the unsuspecting figure. Before the said figure could even react, she tackled them onto the ground, whipping her blades out and threateningly pointing them at the stranger, "Okay you..."

Green eyes, a mess of brown-hair and a familiar face stared up at her in slight fear and they both kinda just froze as they processed who the other person was and what the hell was going on.

She slightly withdrew her sword, "Callum?"

The prince's jaw dropped, "Rayla?"

Then the adrenaline of the elf's shock turned into annoyance, "What in Garlath’s flail of poison thorns were you thinking?!"

The boy jolted, "Wha- what do you mean what was I thinking?"

"I mean, who do you think you are pacing around like some psychopath?" Okay, so maybe that was a slight exaggeration but nerves were really high right now.

"W-Wha- you-" the boy stammered, seemingly shocked, before it morphed into one of irritation, "You're the one just randomly carrying swords around!"

"I thought you were the intruder Ezran warned about!" She exclaimed, as if that was a perfectly good reason for carrying swords around.

"Ezran what?" Callum sounded flabbergasted, "He hasn't even left his room!" Then his eyes widened with realization, fear creeping back into his eyes but this time, it wasn't because of the elf in the room.

Rayla finally stepped off him, growing wary at the expression on his face, "What? Why are your eyes wide like that?"

”Ezran!” Callum stumbled to rise to his feet, "He's still in his room and he's not alone! I heard something fall in there and I tried opening the door but it's locked and hE'S STILL IN THERE-"

"Calm down!" She cut him off, almost exasperated, "What are you talkin' about? I just met him out in the hallways! He told me there was a stranger in the room and that you were still stuck in here."

At this the prince seemed to relax, "He... must've escaped then."

Before they could dwell on that much further, a dim, glowing light began to emit from Ezran's door, slipping through the tiny gaps of the locked door. They froze as they stared at the creepy, eerily glow of the sudden light.

"So..." Callum sounded nervous, "Ez mentioned an intruder?"

"Yup, and they're in there," Rayla said, hardening her gaze as she readied her blades once again (which caused the prince to jump back slightly).

"Okay, cool," she ignored him as she begin approaching the door, "I'll just... stand back here. Like, as back-up and stuff 'cause you clearly have this covered."

Rayla ignored him and tested out the doorknob, "It's locked."

"Yeah, I think I already mentioned that."

Catching sight of a sort of flap-door that's located on the bottom of the door, she tried pushing that open too, "Also locked."

"You know, maybe we should wait for the guards to come," Callum suggested.

Despite the tension in the room, Rayla couldn't resist casting him a smirk, "Why, are you scared?"

"No," the prince scoffed, crossing his arms, "but I'm not stupid. That intruder doesn't seem human."

For some reason, this ticked her off, "So you're scared of a little magic."

“What has this got anything to do with mag-“

A weird, croaky like growl came from the other side of the door, causing the two to freeze slightly. There was a pause that settled in between them for a while before the prince broke it.

"See?" Callum pointed out, "That doesn't SOUND human either."

"And define human, exactly," Rayla snapped, whirling around to face him, slightly irked and perhaps just as spooked.

The fact that it's late at night, there's an intruder that possibly threatened Ezran's life and added with the already tense relationship between two certain individuals in the room, did not make things easier to stay calm.

In fact, it only heated up the inevitable.

All remaining restraints seemed to flow out as he glared at her, "Really? Now?"

"You're making it sound like anything UN-human is a bad thing!" Somewhere in the back of her mind, the rational part of her knew that this was definitely not the time and place to be talking about this... but she was feeling widely irrational right now.

"Like you haven't been choosing to see the worse from us ever since you came here!" Callum argued back

Rayla scoffed, "Oh, so this is what it's about."

"No- I-" the prince huffed before saying, "Look. I'm just saying that whatever is in there isn't some normal... _being_ that emits light and growls like some monster!"

A certain dark mage came up in her mind, "Oh I can think of a few that come pretty close-"

The same, weird, croaky growl came up again, followed by scuttling sounds, bringing them both back into the issue at hand. The light coming from the other room seemed to flicker back and forth, which only furthered the eeriness in the room.

"Intruder first?"

"Fine."

Rayla backed up, readying herself to basically kick down the door but Callum caught on.

"Wait, are you going to kick down the door?"

"How ELSE are we going to get in?" The elf snapped back.

The prince seemed to be trying to hold onto his calm (even if he already failed a few moments before), "Maybe we should think about what we might face on the _other side_ before barging into things."

"It's bad. It's dangerous. According to you, it's not human," Rayla listed out, quite sarcastically, "What else am I missing?"

Callum seemed to hesitate but after a second, he said, "Well, it's late at night, the moon is up, and it's October."

She gave him a blank look, "Okay. So?"

"So...” his voice trailed off, sounding less sure of himself.

Her mind wandered back to something Opeli had mentioned that happened at this time of the month before she raised an eyebrow at him, "Wait... don't tell me you actually believe all that stuff about terrifying creatures coming to haunt humans from Xadia?"

"Wh- no! Of course not," the boy looked slightly flustered though as he went on, "I'm just saying that maybe we should consider all... possibilities-"

"So you think it's possible."

"I didn't- I was- forget it!"

Rayla looked at the now-embarrassed step-prince that she was stuck in a room with, both slightly spooked out of their minds late at night as they argue about approaching a potentially dangerous stranger-

-and then burst out laughing, losing her fighting stance as she clutched her stomach because she was laughing so _hard_.

Callum looked at her, baffled and still embarrassed but he tried to mask that all with his earlier annoyance, "Are you... laughing at me?"

"You- hah- I can't," she tried to return to her calm composure only to break into another round of laughter, "Pfffff- ahahahahaaaaaa..."

"Wow. Real mature," he deadpanned. He didn't look impressed, which was fine by her.

She wiped a tear from her eye as she began to calm down, "You, Prince Callum of Katolis, are highly entertaining."

"Glad you find me something of entertainment value," he grumbled, still embarrassed.

Rayla finally managed to regain composure, managing to stifle a few laughs, "Wow. I'm sorry, that was rude."

A pause.

"You're not really sorry, are you?"

"No, not really. It was too funny."

Callum didn't look as amused but before either of them could speak, the door made a clicking sound; the turning of the lock. Remembering where they were, the prince stepped up while Rayla got into a defensive stance, swords at the ready. Then, the trapdoor opened and out stumbled a... small creature thing? It was covered in a white cloth, light emitting from within and a sort of funnel was stuck to the small creature's head.

No one moved.

Callum and Rayla exchanged a glance before they slowly tilted their positions to look into the funnel to find...

"Bait?" Callum exclaimed, seeing the creature's head through the funnel.

The glow-toad, still glowing in the dark, did his signature lick-my-eye move before letting out his usual gruff croak. Only, it came out as a more deeper, menacing, growl, possibly due to the funnel that affected its sound; the same one they've been hearing from the other side of the door.

Rayla flipped her blades closed, sticking them back in her vest before slumping her shoulders with relief, "Great Luna Tenebris..."

Just as if things weren't getting any more weirder, the once-locked door opened and out came Ezran, a sheepish grin on his face.

They stared at him.

"So, uh, hi?"

"Ez!" She felt a rush of air blow past her only to find the older prince rushing to his little brother, engulfing him into a hug. Callum quickly pulled back, taking a good look at him, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," the young boy chuckled.

Callum stepped back, frowning as he spoke with a stern tone, "What were you doing in there?"

That's when Rayla stepped in, crossing her arms, "Yeah, I told you to call the guards. Not sneak back into a room with someone else that might potentially hurt you!"

"Oh, about that," the sheepish look was back on his face, "There wasn't really... anyone in the room."

And now, the silence was back... for only a couple of seconds before all hell broke-

* * *

After 10 minutes of explaining the whole situation-

"Let me get this straight," Callum said, rubbing his temple as if he was having a migraine, "You locked the door, dropped a stool to make some sort of noise, then snuck out through the tunnels and led me to believe that something happened to you. And then you looked for Rayla, lied to her about an intruder being in the room so she could come into my room..." here's the crazy bit, "...to what?"

Ezran chuckled nervously, "Well, good question..."

The youngest prince was seated on his bed while the other two stood in front of him like they were interrogating him for a crime. She would've laughed at the scene if it hadn't been a weird, late night for all of them. That and she was trying really hard to keep her temper in check (which she may have already let slip up a few minutes before).

"Yeah, I don't understand that bit either," Rayla said, arms crossed, "Why go through all this trouble?"

"Unless..." they both turned to Callum, a look of concentration on his face before he snapped his fingers, "Don't tell me this had something to do with our conversation during dinner."

"Well, I mean, I kinda already planned it way before we had that conversation..." Ezran trailed off into uncertainty.

The elf in the room looked in between them with confusion, "What conversation?"

At this, the older prince tensed, suddenly looking nervous, "Actually, it's stupid. Doesn't matter."

Rayla wasn't budging though, "Well, if it made him pull me into this dumb scheme of his, I think I've got the right to know."

"Look, it's late," and neither was Callum, apparently bent on trying to get away with it, "Let's just... ignore this all happened and-"

"I wanted you guys to get along," Ezran blurted out.

There was a stunned moment of silence that slowly morphed into uncomfortably awkward as they let that information sink in. Ezran fidgeted under their heavy, contemplative gazes as they tried to figure out how exactly to reply to that.

Rayla, specifically, didn't know how to reply to that. Ezran had always been kind to her throughout the week, striking up pleasant conversations or bringing jelly tarts after her lessons. The kid made the castle just a tad less lonely, a tad less cold, for her.

Now that same kid... was asking them to do the one thing she'd been avoiding all week, approached in the worse way possible.

Before either of the two could reply, Ezran beat them to it. “Look,” he sighed, “I know that this must... really suck for both of you-“

_Understatement of the year_, Rayla thought.

“-To be pulled into an arranged marriage you never planned for and train for a role none of you chose to do,” Ezran glanced up at Callum then at her before looking back down, “And I’m not asking you to _like_ something like this. You’ve got every right not to and I get that! I just...”

The young boy seemed to hesitate, on the verge of uncertainty before steeling himself as he pushed on with all the confidence he could muster, “I just think that maybe... maybe things could be easier if you two could get along.”

“Ez...” Callum started but Ezran pushed on.

“No, hear me out,” he pleaded, “I know you told me that she hates you and stuff but you haven’t yet met the Rayla I did. She’s fun and awesome and really cool!”

“Yeah, well _you_ haven’t met the Rayla I did,” his brother seemed to mutter to himself.

Fortunately for him, the elf had other thoughts in mind. Raising an eyebrow, she more-like-stated, “You guys talk about me?”

Callum sputtered, not for the first time, looking flustered, “That’s beside the point!”

“The point is!” Ezran exclaimed, bringing back the attention to him, “She’s a good person. Cal, _she helped me steal jelly tarts_. Not even Soren does that!”

Rayla held herself back from expressing her doubts on how the “Captain of the CrownGuard” could even fit into one of the tunnels in the first place.

But the older prince seemed to soften at this, as his stance of denial seemed to dissipate slightly, “She... did?”

Wow. Stealing jelly tarts must be a really big deal... or perhaps it was the fact that she hung out with his little brother, who was more or less speaking kindly of her. Don’t get her wrong, she’s really touched that the young prince thinks of her as a good person, taking note that he never once said “elf” or “human” but just “person”. An equal, the same being.

Perhaps she could've appreciated it even more if she wasn't exhausted and mildly irked out of her mind.

"And Rayla," Ezran turned to her, "I know my brother can be an idiot at times and, on his behalf, I'm very, truly sorry."

"Excuse you-" Came the offended response.

"But because I know my brother, I also know he means well," he insisted, almost pleadingly but also with absolute confidence and sureness, "He'd do anything for me and if you give him the chance-"

"I can't guarantee doing 'anything' for anyone else," Callum cut in, "Just saying. Like, no offense."

Rayla shrugged, "None taken."

"Actually," Ezran butt in, "I was going to say that his idiocy would get more endearing-"

"Am I supposed to feel flattered by that?" Callum deadpanned.

"-But in all seriousness," he chuckled before turning back to Rayla, "He's the best brother I could ask for. I just think that maybe if you guys get along, there'd be a little less dislike. Things could be a little less hard and a little less awkward even. So..." He looked in between the two of them, a warm, encouraging smile on his face, "Please? Get along?"

At this, the Moonshadow rolled her eyes, exhaustion really getting the better of her mood.

"Ezran, he's literally your only brother..." but she forgot to bring her guard up to against young prince's all-powerful baby seal eyes and, in a matter of weakness (and the fact that she wanted to sleep) allowed a groan to slip from her lips, "Ugh fine! Whatever!"

Ezran's eyes could've lit up the darkness of the room if it had the ability to do so, "You will?"

"I'll _try_," she corrected before adding, a little more begrudgingly, "to more or less tolerate your brother. Even if he acts like an idiot."

She felt Callum's glare on her but the younger boy seemed to accept the answer just fine before turning to his older brother. After competing in a staring contest, the older boy finally sighed, "Okay. I'll... try to be less of an idiot. As long as she cuts back on the cold demeanor department."

"Oooh, using big words huh," Rayla jeered.

"Would you prefer infuriating-"

"Guys!" Ezran cut in, giving them both a stern glance. The older pair, despite still being mildly annoyed, held themselves back in his favor. "So, are we both in agreement on the terms and conditions? To try and get along?"

With a jolt, Rayla realized just how different this agreement was compared to the treaty she'd been bound to without any say in the matter. This was something she HAD a say in. And she could still say no. In fact, that would be easy! Say _sike-_ no, walk out the room, collapse onto her bed and forget this ever happened.

The older prince's eyes were unreadable, not because there was barely any emotion in his green eyes. No, it was the fact that there was a lot, flitting in and out that it was almost hard to follow the whirlwind that stormed his mind. Then he did something that surprised her. He met her eyes-- determined, contemplative... hopeful?-- then he reached out his hand.

Clearing his throat, after she'd stared at his hand for the past few seconds, he spoke, a little less confidently, "Uh... shake on it?"

Rayla looked at Ezran, who gave her an encouraging smile, then at the prince in front of her, trying to find an answer but seeing none clear enough to suffice. Perhaps it was because it was per his brother's request, or she knew it wouldn't hurt to get along; it would be easier in fact.

Or perhaps it was because she was tired. Probably because of that.

Whatever the reason, she took his hand with a firm shake (his hand was warm, a little clammy), "Don't make me regret this."

"Um... okay," came the weak response.

Just as they let go, Ezran then chirped up, eyes shining with mischief, "Maybe a hug for good measure?"

"Nope."

"Not happening."

Rayla began heading for the door as Ezran called out, "But hugs signify a stronger show of trust-"

She crossed the threshold. "Good night, Ez!"

"What about Cal-" Then closed the door.

She was officially done for the day.

**\--Soren--**

Soren was the Captain of the Crownguard.

No surprises there. It's something that's been made known since chapter three... not that they were completely living in a fictional story! How weird would that be? Ahem...

It was late at night but this night in particular was Soren's turn to do the night shift with a few other fellow crownguards.

Sure there had been soldiers posted at certain hallways in the castle before they were to be dismissed around midnight. Then every three hours or so, there would be a patrol of soldiers making a round throughout the castle to make sure everything is in order before once again retiring to their quarters.

Perhaps it started because of that one night where Moonshadow Elves almost succeeded in assassinating King Harrow... not that Soren would let them though. He was sure that not a single soul in that castle slept that night. Or perhaps it had been the three-year war that happened right afterwards; the constant _fear of another assassination, of the sight of distant smoke due to another village falling to a dragon's fire, of meeting soldiers returning barely-alive from the front-lines then hearing one die a few days later. Of once again meeting the blades of his invisible foes that almost took his-_

...his life.

"Huh, maybe Claudia is right," Soren muttered to himself before jumping at the intrusion of someone else's voice.

"Right about what?"

"Marcos!" The captain exclaimed, glaring at him as he tried to recompose himself, "Can you please not... do that?"

"What? Ask questions you mean?" Despite the straight-face he displays, the tips of his lips were quirking upwards.

Soren tried to maintain his own stern-captain act like any good captain, "I meant, appearing out of nowhere."

"Actually, I was here the entire time," Marcos pointed out, "You just decided to space out in the middle of your shift, Soren."

"That is _Captain_ Soren to you," he corrected before retaliating, "And aren't you supposed to be positioned at the princes' hallway?" _And last I checked, the Moonshadow Elf's hallway as well_, Soren thought to himself. Whoever thought it was a great idea to assign her room near them had to be insane.

"I..." a pause, that the captain _didn't find suspicious at all_, came, "...was taking a short break to the bathroom, sir. I'm actually on my way back now."

"Good," Soren nodded, but he still frowned, "You're lucky the war's done or that will be an hour straight of burpees for you!"

"Right," they both knew just how much he actually meant that. Marcos seemed to hesitate before saying, "Speaking of... the war HAD ended 6 months ago and with this new treaty in place, I was wondering if you know anything about the night shifts ending. Seeing as there doesn't seem to be any immediate threat at the moment."

Soren knew right away where the crowngaurd had been going with this, not noticing that he'd grown tense once he'd finished.

"Just because there's no war right now doesn't mean there isn't a few couple of elves or even humans that are mad about a certain arranged marriage concerning a Moonshadow Elf living under our very rooftop," the Captain almost yelled but he managed to refrain himself from doing so near the end.

Despite this, Marcos seemed to flinch almost in guilt, remembering his place, "Yes, of course Soren. Apologies for being short-sighted."

"No, man, I just-" Soren let out a sigh. Ever since the elf had arrived and his father's grave warnings, with the added protests of the people that needed to be maintained, he was... _scared_. 6 months hadn't been long ago. "I just lost my cool there. I'm sorry."

"Well, a break can do you good. At least 'till the afternoon tomorrow," Marcos interrupted before Soren could cut in. With a pat on the shoulder and a small, reassuring smile, he said, "You've been working harder than the rest of us. We're gonna need our Captain functioning, not sleep-deprived because of a night-shift."

Before he began turning back to his night shift, Soren spoke up, "Marcos? I need you to... promise me something."

The soldier turned back, looking at him with a questioning look, "Promise what?"

"Protect the princes, at all cost," Marcos looked on in confusion until Soren elaborated, "If anyone, and I mean _anyone_, try to harm them, you need to promise me that you will not hesitate. Especially if it's a certain _elf_ sharing the same hallway as them."

There was a pause, the crowngaurd looking thoughtful, "You... don't trust the elf, do you?"

"I don't," Soren simply replied; it was an easy question after all, "and nor should you. If she even lifts a finger-"

"I promise," Marcos interruped, gaze hardened with determination. Soren looked into the eyes of his friend, seeing the conviction in his words, "I'll protect them with my _life_."

After all, 6 months hadn't been long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you may already know, from the Author's Notes at the top, well I was hit by school once winter break ended so I'm like, really sorry it took me three weeks to finish this chap XD You could say that this chapter is actually... part one of "Deal" as I'd like to call it
> 
> Just a quick heads up, I've got Finals coming up next week so I might not be able to update again for another two weeks... unless some miracle presents itself upon me
> 
> So uh... bet you guys didn't expect a Soren POV huh? What did you think he meant when he said, "Maybe Claudia is right?"  
He also had had a lil chit chat with Marcos, who was supposed to be stationed at the princes' hallway... who was also talked to by Ezran in the last chapter hmmmmMMmMMmmMMmm  
Their conversation also gave us a little bit of... insight about how fricking hectic those last three years had been, huh? I'll guarantee this now, it hasn't only affected Soren-
> 
> And of course, Rayla ended up not saying "sike" and agreed to "get along" with Callum for Ezran's sake... how do you think that's gonna go? XD Also, yeah, there wasn't a terrifying creature that came to haunt them from Xadia... but it still IS the month of October sooooo who knowsssss
> 
> I'll leave you off with the knowledge that the next chap is mostly a Rayla and Callum centric chapter!
> 
> Cya!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, lol. So this is my first time I'm publishing anything on this website. It's my first Dragon Prince fanfiction I'm publishing at all actually so, uh, I hope you enjoyed chapter one?
> 
> (i have a twitter? iz pretty cheesy, it's called @fur1933 XD)
> 
> Anyways, I am hungry for TDP content so I may as well distract myself by posting fanfics jfladsjfkldsjf
> 
> Feedback and constructive criticism is highly encouraged and very much appreciated :D


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